Purpose in life | Truth.Love.Purpose.

What is my purpose in life?

The Bible is very clear as to what our purpose in life should be. Men in both the Old and New Testaments sought for and discovered life’s purpose. Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, discovered the futility of life when it is lived only for this world. He gives these concluding remarks in the book of Ecclesiastes: "Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). Solomon says that life is all about honoring God with our thoughts and lives and thus keeping His commandments, for one day we will stand before Him in judgment. Part of our purpose in life is to fear God and obey Him.

Another part of our purpose is to see life on this earth in perspective. Unlike those whose focus is on this life, King David looked for His satisfaction in the time to come. He said, "And I—in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness" (Psalm 17:15). To David, full satisfaction would come on the day when he awoke (in the next life) both beholding God's face (fellowship with Him) and being like Him (1 John 3:2).

In Psalm 73, Asaph talks about how he was tempted to envy the wicked who seemed to have no cares and built their fortunes upon the backs of those they took advantage of, but then he considered their ultimate end. In contrast to what they sought after, he states in verse 25 what mattered to him: "Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you" (verse 25). To Asaph, a relationship with God mattered above all else in life. Without that relationship, life has no real purpose.

The apostle Paul talked about all he had achieved religiously before being confronted by the risen Christ, and he concluded that all of it was like a pile of manure compared to the excellence of knowing Christ Jesus. In Philippians 3:9-10, Paul says that he wants nothing more than to know Christ and “be found in Him,” to have His righteousness and to live by faith in Him, even if it meant suffering and dying. Paul’s purpose was knowing Christ, having a righteousness obtained through faith in Him, and living in fellowship with Him, even when that brought on suffering (2 Timothy 3:12). Ultimately, he looked for the time when he would be a part of the "resurrection from the dead."

Our purpose in life, as God originally created man, is 1) glorify God and enjoy fellowship with Him, 2) have good relationships with others, 3) work, and 4) have dominion over the earth. But with man's fall into sin, fellowship with God is broken, relationships with others are strained, work seems to always be frustrating, and man struggles to maintain any semblance of dominion over nature. Only by restoring fellowship with God, through faith in Jesus Christ, can purpose in life be rediscovered.

The purpose of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We glorify God by fearing and obeying Him, keeping our eyes on our future home in heaven, and knowing Him intimately. We enjoy God by following His purpose for our lives, which enables us to experience true and lasting joy—the abundant life that He desires for us.

Q: What is my purpose on life right now? I feel hopeless and sad that nothing matters.

A: It does matter, and more then you may ever realize! This life is SHORT! and every single thought and action we do matters for all eternity. Medidate on what the bible says below about how short life is:

Here are the clearest Bible verses (and passages) that directly say or strongly emphasize that life is short, fleeting, and fragile:

James 4:14
“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”
Psalm 39:4–5
“O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!”
Psalm 90:10 (Moses’ prayer)
“The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.”
Psalm 144:4
“Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.”
Job 7:6–7
“My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle … Remember that my life is a breath.”
Job 14:1–2
“Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble. He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not.”
Psalm 103:15–16
“As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.”
Isaiah 40:6–8
“All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades… but the word of our God will stand forever.”
1 Peter 1:24 (quoting Isaiah)
“All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
Ecclesiastes 6:12
“For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow?”

The constant message:
70–80 years (if you’re lucky) is nothing in light of eternity. Life is a breath, a shadow, a mist, a flower that’s here today and gone tomorrow. That’s why the same Bible that says life is short immediately tells us to number our days (Psalm 90:12), redeem the time (Ephesians 5:16), and live every fleeting moment for the God who lives forever.

Q: If the feeling of hopelessness I feel right now is due to not having relationship with Jesus, how do I actually have one, it seems exhausting

A: Great question! That feeling is just a feeling, what you will discover is Jesus (the living God in human form, alive right now as you read these words) is the source of peace. Below is more information that will help for finding your purpose in this life, in preparation for Heaven (the next life)

“On earth” means right now, in this present, temporary, broken world — while we’re still breathing, working, suffering, raising kids, paying bills, getting sick, and eventually dying. The Bible says your purpose isn’t something you wait to start in heaven; it starts today, in ordinary life. Here’s what that actually looks like in practice:

1. Every single day is meant to be lived for God’s glory, not your own

You wake up, drink coffee, go to work or school — none of that is “neutral.”
→ You do it as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23).
→ A Christian janitor sweeping the floor can please God just as much as a pastor preaching, because the janitor is doing it with excellence, gratitude, and love for God.

2. Your main job is to know and love God personally

This happens through prayer, reading the Bible, worship (not just singing don't be confused with that word, bringing glory to God with the talents he gave you (alone and with others), and obeying Him even when you're tempted with sin. You're most full spirit will be when you are submitted to his will. God always wants the best for you and loves you more then any human ever will on this earth. Even if you do not understand it or "feel it" it is the truth and very real. Every human on earth will be shown full truth immediately after you die on earth and pass into the next life. On earth, you will discover it by pursuing your 1on1 relationship with Jesus with genuine pursuit. He loves you, is gentle and knows you right now, it's up to you to learn more about him, seek him, and strengthen the free will relationship
It’s not about being “religious”; it’s about a real relationship. You talk to Him, listen to Him, trust Him, enjoy Him.

3. You love and serve the people around you

Your spouse, kids, annoying coworker, difficult neighbor, the refugee, the homeless guy — they’re all made in God’s image.
Changing diapers, visiting someone in hospital, forgiving the person who hurt you, tipping your server well, being patient in traffic — these are acts of worship when done out of love for God.

4. You work, create, and care for the world as God’s representative

Whatever your job is (engineer, artist, nurse, stay-at-home parent, student), you’re continuing the original human task from Genesis: bringing order, beauty, and flourishing to the part of the world God put you in.
Fighting injustice, planting gardens, writing code, teaching kids, making music — all of it matters eternally when it’s done in line with God’s character.

5. You’re being changed into the likeness of Jesus — right now

Every hardship, temptation, and failure is being used by God to make you more patient, kind, humble, courageous, and loving (Romans 8:28–29; James 1:2–4).
Your character is the part you get to keep forever. Your bank account, résumé, and body won’t go with you — but the degree to which you’ve become like Jesus will.

6. You tell other people the good news that they can be forgiven and reconciled to God

Not everyone is a street preacher, but every Christian is a witness.
You live in such a way that people ask, “Why do you have hope?” (1 Peter 3:15), and you’re ready to point them to Jesus.

Bottom line: Life on earth is training and preparation for eternity Think of this life like:

an engagement before the wedding,
basic training before deployment,
rehearsal before the big performance.

Everything you do right now either draws you (and others) closer to God or pushes you farther away. There is no neutral ground.So on earth, your purpose is to start becoming the kind of person you will be forever — someone who perfectly loves God and others — while inviting as many people as possible to join you in that eternal life.That’s why a 25-year-old nursing a dying stranger in a hospice bed, or a mom praying over her toddlers at bedtime, can be living out the purpose of life more fully than a billionaire on a yacht who doesn’t know God. It’s not about how big your life looks; it’s about whose it is and who it’s for.