Discovering the meaning of life isn’t difficult.
I was about 12 years old when my parents gave me a Christmas gift that, I thought, would deliver life-long happiness and eternal fulfillment.
A dot-matrix computer printer.
Back then in the ‘80s, computers were in their infancy and any new invention was met in my rural neighborhood with excitement and wonder. Affordable printers were the hot gift that year, and I was set to get one before anyone else.
All summer and fall, I looked forward to Christmas morning.
I still remember my elation as I tore off the bow and ripped off the red wrapping paper, revealing a cream-colored printer that I hooked up to my computer faster than you can say “nerd.”
A week later, though, my zeal for my shiny printer had waned. Six months later, I had moved on to something else. A few years later, it was broken.
Most likely, you were like that as a child, too. Maybe it was a doll or a dress or the latest toy. For a few minutes of your life, you were on cloud nine. Yet a few months later, you had found something else to tickle your fancy. Eventually, your once-prized gift ended up in a yard sale, sold for a fraction of the original cost.
Let’s be honest: As adults, we’re still like that. I know I am. We chase joy in cars and houses and vacations and careers. We desperately search for purpose in money and status and fame—and, of course, in “likes” and “shares” on social media, too.
But as we learned as children, “stuff” doesn’t fill our souls.
Maybe you’re searching for purpose in life. Or perhaps you’re just wanting a refresher. If so, you’ve come to the right place.
Here are five tips for finding your purpose in life.
Recognizing the Point of Life
The purpose of life was determined long ago by the Creator. In Isaiah 43:7 (NLT), God says of His people: “Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.” Your ultimate purpose is to glorify God.
But—you might be thinking—what does that mean? It means your purpose is to serve Him, love Him and worship Him. Your purpose is to put Him at the center of everything you do. Here’s the kicker: It is only by glorifying God that you can enjoy life to its maximum.
Christian philosopher Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) wrote that we have an “infinite abyss” inside of each of us that “can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself.” To put it another way: We have a “God-shaped hole” inside of us that only can be filled by … God. That is why your doll, your dress and your toy did not truly satisfy.
Embracing the Brevity of Life
The book of James compares our life to a “mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14, ESV). That doesn’t mean life is pointless. (The Bible says we are the pinnacle of God’s creation!) Rather, it means that life is too short to spend the majority of your time and energy on worthless matters. Paradoxically, it is only by embracing your finiteness—your death —that you can live life with true joy and rid your life of stress.
God wants His children to walk daily with an eternal focus, to trust Him in all things, and to think about what is true, honorable, just, pure and lovely (Philippians 4:8-9, ESV). He wants His children to shine their light and to spread love, joy, peace, and kindness wherever they go.
As you search for your purpose in life, remember your permanent home is not this world (Hebrews 13:14). As evangelist Billy Graham once said, death, for the Christian, is nothing more than a “change of address.”
Listening for God’s Still Voice
Have you ever tried to have a deep conversation with a friend in a noisy car? It’s not easy, is it?
Listening to God is no different. If we want to hear His voice, we first must turn down the noise of life — the clutter, the distractions, the busyness, the screen time that is screaming for our attention each day.
Our Creator wants us to “be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10, NIV). That stillness must go deeper than the physical realm. It must include our hearts, our minds, our souls.
If our daily routine involves nothing more than work, mealtime, TV and social media, we may miss what He has to say about our purpose in life.
Maybe you’re searching for direction in your life. Or perhaps you’re just needing a daily “recharge.” Whatever the case, God has a plan for you (Jeremiah 29:11).
Take a moment each day to dive into God’s Word, to talk to Him as a friend, and to ask Him for daily wisdom. Draw near to Him, and He will draw near to you (James 4:8).
Following God’s Two Greatest Commandments
Once, Jesus was asked to name the “greatest commandment” in the law of God. This is how 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 neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37-39, NIV).
In other words: love God and love others. We love God by placing Him above everything else in life. We love others by treating them the way Jesus would treat them.
We forgive our enemies. We strive for reconciliation. We practice selflessness in our daily walk. We place the needs of others before our own.
In a sense, we have a dual citizenship: a temporary home here and a permanent home in heaven.
We are to be God’s ambassadors and to follow His will while we are here on this Earth. We were put here for a purpose!
Simultaneously, our gaze should be toward heaven. That’s where we are headed.
Modeling the Life of Christ
It’s a common practice in our society to hold up certain people as role models. In truth, though, there has been only one role true model in world history: Jesus.
If we are to find our true purpose, then we must study and follow His example. He loved. He forgave. He walked with peace, patience and kindness. He followed the will of the Father. He obeyed God’s Word. He told others the truth … in love.
Incredibly, though, His earthly ministry only spanned about three years. This means that nearly every single story in Scripture about Christ took place in a very short time. About 36 months!
You don’t need decades to make a difference in this world. You only need to follow Christ.
Jesus’ example encourages us to embrace each moment with intentionality, to love unconditionally, to forgive relentlessly, and to live in alignment with God’s Word.
In doing so, we can find our purpose.
