Digging deep into the purpose of life

Written By Rachel Ann

A question we wonder a lot about is our purpose - why did God create us? Are we living out the calling He has for us? What exactly is the purpose of living life? 

The cliche Christian answers like love God, love people, glorify God, share the gospel, etc come to mind. And while those are quite true and I don't mean to undermine their importance, sometimes I wonder if we need to dig a little deeper.

Love God and love people

This sounds great because it just rolls off your tongue, but how do you do that? How do you love God when your prayers seem to go unanswered, when you can't see Him sitting in front of you in a tangible way, when injustice continues to happen, when your friend is going through a tough time. How do you love God and love people then?

One answer I’ve heard is that because God loves us, we are called to love others. God Himself is love, and demonstrates in the Bible time and time again how to love Him, yourself, and others in a holy, healthy way - calling people in to a deeper understanding instead of calling them out; being with people while their life is messy; meeting tangible needs of your neighbor; stewarding your finances well, all that and more is part of loving God and loving people well.

Glorify God

This also sounds great, and is also hard. Does every thought have to be centered around God? If you watch a scandalous TV show, are you sinning? If you don't fast during lent, are you less of a Christian? What does it mean to glorify God in your everyday life?

While I wish I knew the one-liner answer for this, I think the real answer comes from a personal deep dive about that the Holy Spirit is convicting and moving you to do. Are there particular distractions that make it hard for you to stay obedient to God? Are there certain spaces, smells, visuals, foods, etc. that make you feel far from God? Aside from the commandments of course, I think we’re called to a personal sense of glorifying God based on our unique intricacies which may or may not be the same for other people. 

Spread the gospel

Lovely indeed, but also…how do you share the gospel in secular spaces? Where's the line between respect and enabling sin? Does screaming Bible verses through a megaphone on the corner with a picket sign really work? Do people actually get curious about Jesus because you're “living out the Bible”?

Whew. This one is a toughy and may be similar to the question before - what gifts have God given you specifically? What talents do you have that can help let others know who God is? Maybe it’s not working in formal ministry, maybe it’s being kind to someone who everyone overlooks or telling your friend that God hears their cries.

I have a hunch you may still feel a bit frustrated with the answers, and to be honest I am too. While the Bible is great, it doesn't give me as many clear cut instructions as we’d like and that makes sense - how can the mystery, divine, creative, out-of-this-world nature of God be fully captured in our natural world? 

And maybe these questions encourage us to do just that - spending time with God brings us into a deeper knowing of God's heart, the mystery of His Divine nature, and how we fit into it.

I invite you think of how you fit into all of it - the divine plan of our Creator, the light and justice in this chaotic world, the peace in your home, the joy and laughter of your community. How do you fit into God's plan for the world?

I have a hunch that the purpose of life lies somewhere in there, and our role is to commune with God in diving deep into it - the wondering, searching, exploring, wrestling with Him. And maybe that's at least part of the purpose of your life - communing with God.

My hope is that your time with questions will encourage a deep dive with God. May God in His mystery show us glimpses of heaven. May the Holy Spirit guide you and comfort you in your search. May Jesus continue to anchor you and show up as friend, comforter, prince of peace, and more in your wondering.💜

Need more support? Lemme help you sis:

Rachel Ann
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