The Meaning of Life
At a school Speech Day the head teacher addressed the whole school. As he concluded he said,
“The purpose of life is to find the meaning of life and then to make this the purpose of your life.”
One of the most common questions humans ask is, “What is the meaning of life?” It’s a question that cuts across every generation, culture, and background. People seek meaning in their careers, relationships, possessions, and achievements, but often, even after gaining these things, they are left wondering: “Is this all there is?”
As Christians, the Bible offers clear guidance on this question. Today, we will explore some key passages that shed light on God’s purpose for our lives.
A recent documentary film about Elton John, called ‘Elton John: Never Too Late”, is crammed with thrilling footage of the singer, songwriter and pianist at the height of his 1970’s super-stardom. He is now 77 and on looking back he admits:
“There was an emptiness within me. My soul had gone dark . . . it was like I was dead.”
The Bible’s central message is that the meaning of life can only be found in serving our creator.
1. We Are Created to Know and Glorify God (Isaiah 43:7)
“Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” Isaiah 43:7
The first purpose of life for everyone is to know and glorify God. This is foundational. We are not random accidents of nature; we are purposefully created by a loving God, and our ultimate calling is to live in a way that reflects His goodness and brings Him glory.
Isaiah came to know God is a personal way and how this occurred is described in Isaiah chapter 6. It is relevant for all as it depicts the features of all who have come into a relationship with God. Isaiah had a vision of God. He starts this description with the words;
“In the year King Uzziah died. . . .” Isaiah 6:1
Uzziah had reigned for 52 years and although he had brought peace and prosperity to Judah this had or was about to come to and end. Uzziah was about to die, both physically and spiritually. He had not understood the purpose of life and consequently lived under the displeasure of God. When he became powerful he became proud and the Lord afflicted him with leprosy (2 Chronicles 26). He was separated both from other people and from the temple.
At this time the Assyrians under Tiglath-Pileser III were expanding and exerting much pressure on neighbouring nations and the people of Judah were naturally anxious. Uzziah’s son, Jotham, was about to take the throne.
Isaiah was already a prophet so what was his message to the people to be?
At this time God spoke to Isaiah in a way that forced him to consider who really is on the throne of his life. Is this not the challenge all people need to face? We all naturally seek the gifts God gives such as happiness, prosperity, status and security but so easily forget or just formalise the giver. The Lord breaks through to help Isaiah consider what really matters and the answer is ‘The Lord’ himself.
“I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”” Isaiah 6:1-3
The triple use of the word ‘holy’ is a Hebrew means of emphasis. The Lord is absolutely holy, his holiness is so much more than we can ever imagine. It was the holiness of God that terrified Isaiah. He realised that he was utterly unworthy to even be in his presence. Holiness is a word, that, like light, has a spectrum of meanings when referred to the Lord.
1. He is Lord.
He reigns over everything. Everything is in his control. The Psalms keep repeating this teaching. In John’s vision of heaven he sees God sitting majestically on a wonderful high throne (Revelation 4:2 on). The knowledge that nothing happens without God’s permission is so comforting for God’s people, he has everything under control. However this fact should be very worrying for those outside his kingdom.
2. He is great.
God is ‘high and exalted’ (Isaiah 6:2) with seraphs worshipping him by serving him. Significantly two of the six wings of the seraphs cover their faces, a sign of great respect, they cannot look on the holiness of God though they can still hear what he says. Who are created beings to doubt the words of God? Our role as created beings is simply to do what God tells us. Some seem to prefer to debate what God has said instead of obeying it. The wings that cover their feet indicates that true worshippers are not concerned about their standing but only the glory of God. The feet symbolise activity and in having them covered they are refusing to choose their own path. Two wings were for flying on the Lord’s business and this should be true for all of God’s people. Our worship must therefore include obedience, self effacement and a longing to go about God’s business.
3. He is everywhere.
‘The whole earth is full of his glory” Isaiah 6:3
God’s glory is everywhere. No-one can escape from it. Psalm 139, a psalm of David, reminds us,
“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” Psalm 139:7
The Lord sees the heart of every one of us.
4. He is pure.
The purity of God made Isaiah look at himself with new eyes:
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips.I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Isaiah 6:5
Isaiah is focusing on the things he has said, things that were untrue, unkind and unloving which all demean a person. We cheapen life when we use obscene, vicious or slanderous words. The fact that Isaiah’s whole society had behaved in this sinful way was no excuse. He now saw himself in the light of God’s purity.
5. He is merciful.
When Isaiah acknowledged his sin the Lord’s seraph comes to him with forgiveness. The seraph takes a coal from the altar, where sacrifices were made for the forgiveness of sin ,
“With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah 6:7
Isaiah was now at-one with God, all his sins had been atoned for.
This God is far from a tame God, he is majestically holy and yet he still loves each one of us. How can so many today trifle with this God? Yet Isaiah was wrong, when he understood the majesty of this holy God was to leave him in a hopeless situation, ‘I am ruined’. He had not understood that God loves him and wants him to be restored.
Isaiah had something else he had to learn. God restores people so that they will spend our lives serving him. For Isaiah this meant going out into God’s world and telling people the words of God. That is what a prophet is, someone who tells people what God wants them to hear. Isaiah’s response was immediate,
‘Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” He said, “Go and tell this people: . . .” Isaiah 6:8-9
There are unfortunately many today who think that God is here to serve them and make them happy, prosperous and healthy. Such thinking is wrong. We are here to serve the living God by using all he has given us and at whatever the cost is to us, with the certain knowledge that we will then join him in eternity.
The prophet Jeremiah understood that we have to respond to who God is and what he has done, and that then the Lord will restore us as members of his eternal kingdom. God’s purpose is that we shall then serve him with all our lives.
“If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me;” Jeremiah 15:19
When Paul wrote to the Christians in Ephesus he reminded them repeatedly of this message, that they were now to live for the glory of God.
“For he chose us in him . . . to be holy and blameless in his sight. . . to the praise of his glorious grace.” Ephesians 1:4-6
“. . . in order that we . . . might be for the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:12
“. . . until the redemption of those who are God’s possession - to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:16
Imagine an artist who has painted a masterpiece. The painting does not exist for itself but for the artist’s glory. In the same way, we exist not for our own glory but for God’s. When we live in alignment with God’s will, our lives become like a masterpiece reflecting His glory.
Consider athletes who often speak of training for “the glory of the game.” But how much more meaningful it is to live for the glory of God? In the 1924 Olympics, the Christian athlete Eric Liddell famously said, “When I run, I feel His pleasure,” acknowledging that even his athletic ability was meant to bring glory to God.
2. We Are Called to Love God and Others (Matthew 22:37-39)
“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-39
Jesus summarises the purpose of life to two headings: loving God and loving others. This is the essence of all Christian living. Life isn’t just about success or self-fulfilment; it’s about relationships—first with God, then with others.
A plant grown in good soil with access to sunlight and water, will grow strong, bear fruit, and thrive. Another plant grown in poor soil with no sunlight or water will wither away. The effect of living closely to the Lord is like the plant growing in good soil. If we love God and live by what he teaches, our lives will bear fruit for him. If we ignore God, or just give him lip-service, we will miss out on what gives us life and purpose.
Think about the billions spent annually on self-help books, therapy, and life coaching—people are hungry for meaning. Yet, the answer is simple: love God and love others. To serve the living God means to serve his Son, the Lord Jesus. When you commit yourself to following Jesus you will invest in these two relationships - then everything else falls into place.
3. We Are Called to Become Like Christ (Romans 8:29)
“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son,” Romans 8:29
The purpose of life is not only to glorify God and love others but also to become like Christ. We are called to reflect His character in our lives, to grow in holiness, compassion, and grace. This process, known as sanctification, is the journey we take as Christians, with the goal of becoming more Christ-like in everything we do.
Think of a sculptor working on a block of marble. The sculptor sees the image within the stone and carefully chips away at it to reveal the masterpiece. In the same way, God is constantly at work in our lives, chipping away at the rough edges, moulding us to be more like Christ.
In today’s world, personal development and “self-actualisation” are often emphasised. But while the world calls us to be ourselves, God calls us to be like Christ. This is a higher calling than any career goal or personal achievement. Famous Christian author C.S. Lewis once said, “The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.” Our life’s purpose is to be transformed into the likeness of Christ, so that we reflect His love and character.
4. We Are Called to Serve (Ephesians 2:10)
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10
Part of our purpose in life is to serve others as God’s representatives. We are not saved just to sit in comfort but to be active in doing the good works God has prepared for us. Our service flows naturally from our love for God and others. In particular we must care for other Christians who may be going through hard times. Jesus told us that the sheep and the goats would be separated at the coming judgment. The sheep will be characterised because they love and follow the Lord and care for his people. Jesus said
“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40
Consider a river that is constantly flowing; it gives life to everything around it. If it is blocked, it becomes stagnant and lifeless. Similarly, when we serve the Lord, we allow God’s blessings to flow through us, blessing others. If we hold back and focus only on ourselves, our lives become stagnant and lose purpose. The Sea of Galilee has an outlet, the river Jordan, and is full of life. The Dead Sea has no outlet so it fills with salt and is lifeless, it is dead.
In today’s culture, we often equate purpose with achievement or success, but God calls us in a different direction, to a purpose of service for him.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Ayaan Hirsi Ali was born in Somalia and raised by a pious mother and grandmother as a Muslim in Saudi Arabia. In 1992, to escape from fundamentalist Islam and an arranged marriage, she sought asylum in the Netherlands. She started life there with a cleaning job but later became a Member of Parliament in the Dutch Parliament. After 11 September 2001 she turned her back on Islam and began to teach why the teachings of the Qur’an are wrong. She then became a leading voice of the New Atheism movement with Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens. The “New Atheist” label was given to these critics of religion and religious belief. She was chosen by Time magazine as one of the hundred most influential people in the world and became a fellow of Harvard University.
However in 2023 she openly acknowledged that she had become a Christian. Six months after ‘coming out’ as a Christian she appeared in a debate with Richard Dawkins which can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBsHdHMvucs Ayaan and Richard remain very friendly, but he had written in an open letter to her,
“Seriously Ayaan, you a Christian? You are no more a Christian than I am.”
In this debate he recognised he was wrong, and that she now believed in the divinity if Jesus, his virgin birth and his resurrection.
“Ayaan, you are a Christian,” he concluded.
She briefly explained why she had changed her mind after recognising the emptiness of atheism. She had been suffering from depression, self loathing and anxiety and nothing helped this, her atheism could give her hope. Then one of her therapists suggested that she might be ‘spiritually bankrupt’. This caused her to turn to the God of the Bible for help and she prayed for this. She felt connected to something higher than herself and her zest for life returned. She realised that the cultural values of the west are the fruit of a spiritual movement, belief in the God revealed in Jesus, and that the enlightenment was the child of Christian traditions. She recognised that the values of love and grace, emphasised in the Bible, are what society needs. When reviewing her time with the New Atheists she stressed,
“The biggest mistake we made was to equate Islam with Christianity.”
When reviewing what is happening in prestigious places of learning she says it is obvious that reason alone cannot supply a basis for a good satisfying life. Something is missing and it is this that Jesus has given her and to many others. Neither Islam nor atheism can give what people most need. Reason that excludes God excludes the basis for moral values and purpose, whereas Islam lacks an intellectual basis for saying it is true and can lead to radicalism with ruthless cruel consequences. Ayaan is deeply grateful for the life she has discovered since accepting the rule of the Lord Jesus in her life – life now makes sense. Unlike the leprous King Uzziah she had turned to God in her need, recognised who Jesus is, and found salvation and freedom. She now has meaning whereas previously there was only emptiness.
Conclusion:
To sum up, the Bible gives us clear answers to the question, “What is the meaning of life?”
1. We are created to know and glorify God (Isaiah 43:7).
2. We are called to love God and love others (Matthew 22:37-39).
3. We are meant to become like Christ (Romans 8:29).
4. We are called to serve others (Ephesians 2:10).
If we embrace these purposes, which all centre on Jesus Christ, we will find the deep and lasting meaning that everyone longs for. Ecclesiastes 12:13 reminds us of our purpose in life,
“Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”
May God give us the grace to live according to His purpose, revealed to us only in his word and in his Son, so that our lives will be meaningful by effectively serving him. When we live with this perspective God promises us that we will be satisfied and find rest. Jesus said to us all,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 1:28-29
B V Palmer
