What Does Scripture Say about the Purpose of Life?

Adam and Eve, who had no reason to distrust God, still disobeyed Him and ate from the Tree of Knowledge. They chose a plan of wickedness and their plan over God’s, and the consequences are dire for the entirety of humanity. However, their story is our story, as it marks the beginning of where good meets evil.

These stories have been on repeat since the beginning of time. But God was and still is in control!

We may not always understand or see the behind-the-scenes work that God is doing, but we can rest assured and trust that He is in control, working all things out for good. It may look messy and wrapped up in sin, but thankfully, we serve a relational God full of mercy, grace, and essential life lessons.

God didn’t create the world because He was bored with nothing to do. He created life to delight in and to essentially delight in us (Numbers 14:8)! The goodness of His creation is all a reflection of His nature and starts with a fundamental truth that God is love (1 John 4:16). Due to His great love for us and His nurturing nature, our God is intimate and desires to be a part of our lives.

God wants us to know Him personally and to discover the path to a righteous and whole life. A life that is not merely good but abundant and rich in His love. He wants us to give up our lives and walk in obedience, offering us the way, Truth, and energy (John 14:6 and Matthew 6:33).

Love is the universal theme and heartbeat of the gospel. Because of God’s great love, He gave us His only Son so that we can have eternal life. John 3:16 is the core of our faith and brings into light the purpose for this life. Jesus is an expression of God’s indescribable and profoundly profound love for the entire world that offers a direct pathway to Him!

Did you catch that? God offers us a pathway in this life through Jesus! Due to His unfailing love, He gives us a way to our eternal destiny, all by seeking a relationship with Jesus and abiding in His love.

By now, we could say the purpose of this life as a faithful believer would be to realize we were not created by chance and that because there is good and evil, we have the choice to honor God and trust Him with our lives. It also gives us great comfort knowing that God is in control and offers a life beyond this one.

Yet, that still doesn’t answer the question of, “Why me?” or “Why am I here, and what’s my purpose?”

Is our purpose to be happy with God and to glorify Him? Yes! Is it our purpose to trust Him and obey Him? Yes! Is our purpose to walk in the ways of Jesus – yes, and yes!! That is the core (and heart) of where our love for God and the sacrifice of Jesus meets our purpose.

Christianity flips the script on this life and our purpose because it calls for us to cast our “self” aside and place God front and center.

When we do that, we find that the real meaning of life is about recognizing that our whole identity must be a reflection of Christ. It is about loving and seeing others the way Christ does. It’s about serving others with a grateful heart, as Christ modeled. It’s about valuing people and meeting them where they are with mercy and grace, as Christ has shown us. It’s walking in the way Christ did.

We are here to love and lead others to Christ! That is our purpose, and that is the purpose of life for a believer! Praise be to God for our Lord Jesus Christ!

Photo Credit: © Unsplash/Paul Skorupska

Alicia Searl is a devotional author, blogger, and speaker that is passionate about pouring out her heart and pointing ladies of all ages back to Jesus. She has an education background and master’s in literacy.  Her favorite people call her Mom, which is why much of her time is spent cheering them on at a softball game or dance class. She is married to her heartthrob (a tall, spiky-haired blond) who can whip up a mean latte. She sips that goodness while writing her heart on a page while her puppy licks her feet. Visit her website at aliciasearl.com and connect with her on Instagram and Facebook.