The Meaning of Life

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Why are we here? What is the purpose of our existence? Why did God create us? What is the meaning of life?

These are questions that most of us have asked ourselves at one time or another. They are questions that have baffled many great minds among them those of philosophers, scholars, scientists, kings, literary giants, and the like. They are questions that have left many people bewildered and led others into a deep search for the truth. They are questions that pop up during those pensive moments that occur in the midst of the many cares and concerns of this life. They are pertinent questions – questions that need to be answered.

So, what indeed is the meaning of life? Is it to eat, drink, work, party, study, explore the universe, invent things, marry, raise kids, build houses, acquire property, amass wealth, etc? Is it a matter of being born, doing all these things, and then dying, or is there a higher purpose, a greater calling, a worthier cause behind it all? If so, what is that purpose that makes our existence worth the while? What is that mission that we are here to fulfill? What is that cause that persists across generations? Clearly, it must be something that cannot be eroded by the passing of time; something with a permanent value; something that will matter not only now but also in the days to come; something indestructible that extends beyond death.

Bad News

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Most, if not all of the things that we use in this world, have a sell by date. They either rot, tear, wear out, break, burn, or become faulty. Even the earth itself is in the process of gradual deterioration. Scientists have confirmed this fact and documented it extensively. This means that all the things that we now hold dear will eventually be no more. The Bible says that the time will come when the heavens and the earth will all be burned up. The meaning of life, therefore, is clearly not in the things of this world. They are just here for the purpose of our continuity in the world. They are merely a bunch of tools that serve to stand in for our limited capabilities. With this in mind, it is therefore foolish to make them the center of our focus, life, energy, hopes, dreams, time, values and pride. Doing so is equivalent to building sand castles in the air.

Billy Graham, a world famous evangelist, says, “There is nothing wrong with men possessing riches. The wrong comes when riches possess men.” This is true of many people whose lives revolve around various carnal things such as fame, fortune, fun, money, lust, image, sexual gratification, and so on, to the point of worshiping them and basing the meaning of life upon them. When God gave us all these resources, His intention was for us to rule over them, not to be ruled by them. A man is no longer free when his life is driven by the various things that surround him; instead, he becomes like a beast of burden, ruled by the demands and cravings of his flesh.

A sneak preview of coming attractions
The Bible continues to say that when the present heavens and earth are destroyed, God will make brand new ones that will contain bigger and better things than we have ever seen or heard. What we now glorify will pale in comparison to what is coming. In addition, we will be given glorious new spiritual bodies that far surpass the ones that we currently have. In the spiritual realm, there is no need for the various physical gadgets such as vehicles, aeroplanes, phones, etc that we depend on in this world, since spirits are able to supernaturally do what we are physically unable to do without such gadgets. These things that we now consider to be achievements of magnificent proportions will all become a thing of the past and we will therefore not spend our time ooh-ing and aah-ing and fondly reminiscing about them. They will look like one of those primitive artifacts of ancient civilizations that we chuckle about when we study ancient history.

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As disappointing as this may sound, there are good reasons behind it. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden, not only were they banished from it, but the earth also lost its original glory. We are therefore living on a fallen planet that is a far cry from what God had designed it to be. When God makes everything brand new, everything will eventually be restored back to its glorious state, and we will get another chance to achieve all that God intended for us in accordance with His master plan.

The Catch
However, only those who are obedient and faithful to God in this present age will get the chance to inherit all that. Those who rebel against God and continue to walk in the futility of their ways, all because of the temporary attractions of this world, will miss out on it altogether and instead be eternally banished to a place of eternal suffering.

Wisdom therefore entails realizing all this and thereby founding our lives and everything that we do on God and on His Word. It is God alone who knows everything and who knows it best, and therefore the only way that we can succeed in whatever we do and attain our full potential is by relying on His guidance and trusting Him. It is upon this truth that the meaning of our lives is founded.

Evidence
This truth was confirmed by a famous and wise king who made it his mission to find out the meaning of life. In order to achieve this, he indulged himself in all manner of activities under the sun. After his long and wide search for the truth, he drew the following conclusion:

1)      That the various things in this world are just but a vanity, and

2)      That what really matters in life is to fear God and keep His commands. 

This king’s research has been carefully documented in the book of Ecclesiastes. The Bible describes him as the wisest man who has ever walked on this planet, and adds that no one else will ever be able to rival his wisdom. This means that he was wiser than any of the many philosophers that we love to quote. God Himself certified this man’s wisdom (1 Kings 3:12), and we can therefore trust his findings. 

On a personal note

When we want to know the meaning and use of a gadget, the best person to consult is its manufacturer. Similarly, to know the meaning and purpose of life, we must go to the one who gave it – God. He created each one of us for a unique purpose and only He is able to tell us what it is. If we seek Him, He is faithful to answer each one of us individually and give our lives the meaning and fulfillment that we seek. After all, weren’t all the great men that we read about in the Bible – the men who heard from, talked to, and walked with God – just men like us? We are the ones who raise barriers for ourselves when we put other created things above God and exalt what has been created rather than he who created it. I would rather go in to the afterlife to rejoice over the many supernatural encounters that I had with God, than over how I pampered my mortal body.

I will conclude with several excerpts, three from scripture and one from a famous hymn:

“A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

– Jesus Christ (Luke 12:15)

“Now all has been heard;

here is the conclusion of the matter:

Fear God and keep his commandments,

for this is the whole duty of man.

For God will bring every deed into judgment,

including every hidden thing,

whether it is good or evil.”

– King Solomon (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

"He has showed you, O man, what is good.

And what does the LORD require of you? 

To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

– Micah 6:8

“On Christ the solid rock I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.”

– from the hymn: ‘My Hope is Built on Nothing Less’