Have You Ever Really Asked Yourself That Question?
At some point, every single person asks this question. There is something deeply human about it — a longing to understand why we are here. I am not going to waste time telling you what the meaning of life is not. I am going straight to the point.
But to understand the meaning of life, you must first understand who created you — and why.
How Do You Find the Truth?
There are many opinions, feelings, and theories about what is true. But feelings can mislead you. The question you should be asking is not simply what do I feel, but what do the evidence and the world around me point to?
When you search for truth in that way — honestly, humbly, and with an open mind — and keep digging until you find an answer that genuinely holds up under scrutiny, you will eventually arrive at the Bible. Because Jesus said it himself:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” — John 14:6 (NIV)
What Does Science Say About God’s Existence?
Science actually points toward God’s existence, even if many people are reluctant to admit it. The logic is straightforward: nothing comes from nothing. Something must always come from something. Even if you accept evolution as an explanation, it points back to a beginning — and the most widely accepted theory for that beginning is the Big Bang.
But the Big Bang could not have emerged from nothing. Atoms and particles can be broken down and changed — they are not eternal. Time, space, and matter must have been triggered by something that exists entirely outside of time, space, and matter. And since we have intelligent life here, it is not logical that something unintelligent created it. We are intelligent beings — it is entirely reasonable to conclude that our Creator is too.
This is where the Bible takes over: God created. The very first words of Scripture tell us:
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” — Genesis 1:1 (NIV)
And God himself was not created. He is eternal — the Alpha and the Omega:
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” — Revelation 22:13 (NIV)
He always has been, always will be, and never changes. God is the source of all life and all existence. Fully grasping that is beyond human capacity — and that is precisely the point. We are not at the top of the chain of existence. God is.
Why Is the Bible Trustworthy?
The Bible is not a mysterious or magical book. It is history — and it is historically accurate. What is described in the Bible can be geographically and archaeologically located to specific time periods and eras. Discoveries made through archaeological research consistently confirm what is written there.
Furthermore, the Bible was written by forty different people over a period of roughly 1,500 years. It consists of sixty-six books, and contains over 63,000 cross-references across all of them. That is a completely superhuman feat to coordinate — unless one and the same Spirit guided the entire writing process:
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” — 2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)
Jesus is also the most documented individual in all of human history. External historical sources confirm his life and death. And we live in a year counted in relation to his birth — that is not a coincidence, but a testament to the impact a single life has had on all of humanity.
Why Did Jesus Have to Die for Us?
God is love — but he is also just. A just judge must punish evil:
“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” — Romans 6:23 (NIV)
The world is not in the state God created it to be. That is not God’s doing, but the result of our own rebellion, disobedience, and sin. There were consequences:
“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.” — Romans 5:12 (NIV)
God cannot simply overlook evil — that would make him unjust. Yet he does not want the humans he created out of love to be lost forever. His solution was radical: he chose to take the punishment himself.
Jesus is God made manifest in human flesh. He lived a perfect, sinless life, and carried all our sin and guilt when he died on the cross:
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” — 1 Peter 2:24 (NIV)
He rose from the dead on the third day — and that is the very foundation of the Christian message:
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.'” — John 6:51 (NIV)
Salvation is not something we can earn. It is a gift we can choose to receive:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” — Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
What, Then, Is the Meaning of Life?
Until you recognise that you were created by God and for God, life will never make complete sense. The answer is simple to say, but profound to live:The meaning of life is to live in fellowship with God.
That involves four things:
- Be saved — receive God’s gift through faith in Jesus Christ.
- Know God — spend time in prayer and in the Bible to get to know him personally.
- Become more like Jesus — let his character and values shape the way you live.
- Serve God by serving others — love your neighbour as yourself, and go out and make disciples.
- Spread the gospel — Tell other people about Jesus and what He did for us so people can come to faith in Him and be saved
Jesus said:
“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.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” — Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV)
That is not slavery. That is the most meaningful life there is. Jesus also told his followers:
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” — Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
Does It Sound Like Too Much to Give Up?
I have lived life entirely on my own terms. I have had freedom, money, and pleasure. And I can tell you from personal experience: none of it provides the deep joy and sense of purpose that comes from living God’s plan for your life.
I never thought I would love talking about Jesus. But today I do — and when I do, I experience God’s presence and love in a way I cannot fully put into words. The Bible promises us:
“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 11:28 (NIV)
God also blesses you along the way. Not because you do good in order to receive something in return — but because it is his very nature to bless those who bless others:
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” — Luke 6:38 (NIV)
What If You Do Not Believe?
Doubt is allowed. If you do not believe, you can ask God for faith — and he will give it to you. Try this: say honestly to God, with a humble heart:
“Hey God. If you are real, I want to know. I want faith. Come into my life and save me.”
Do it sincerely — and see what happens. Scripture promises:
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” — Matthew 7:7 (NIV)
There are billions of Christians who testify to exactly the same thing: that God meets you where you are, that he gives you a new heart, and that you are transformed from the inside out:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” — 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
The Holy Spirit works in us when we surrender to God:
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” — Ephesians 3:17-19 (NIV)
What Happens in Eternity?
Salvation is a gift, and everyone who believes will receive it:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” — John 3:16 (NIV)
But the Bible also says we will each give an account for what we did with the life we were given. Every believer receives salvation — but reward according to work:
“Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” — Romans 8:17 (NIV)
Jesus said:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” — Matthew 6:19-20 (NIV)
In Summary: What Will You Choose?
You have free will. God never violates it. You can choose to seek him — or choose to go your own way:
“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” — Joshua 24:15 (NIV)
Nobody is sent to hell by God. Those who end up there do so by voluntarily rejecting his goodness and grace. God does not want anyone to perish:
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” — 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)
And the one who chooses God freely — that love is genuine. That is exactly how God wants it. The choice is yours:
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” — Revelation 3:20 (NIV)
Live God’s plan for your life. That is the meaning of it all.