From creation through to our post-modern thought, of all things that man has had to ponder, one has captured every man from simple to intellectual, from practical to philosophical. What is the purpose of man?
There are two groups of people searching for purpose in life. There are first, Christians whose purpose is defined by their relationship with Jesus. Secondly, there are those people in the secular as well as many within the world’s other religions that will spend their lifetime trying to find out what that purpose is.
In dealing with those people outside religion, we will not spend much time on their search. For those outside creation-based religions, there is but one axiom; evolution. And for the believers of that religion (evolution is itself a religious belief, based on faith in a theory, and not empirical scientific proof) they are left with the option that their existence is by chance alone. If evolution is true you have no purpose for living except to stay alive as long as you can; survival of the fittest. While staying alive is a worthy goal, it doesn’t reveal life’s pupose.
For some Christians, the search is what defines them. I submit that the search cannot be what defines you. I’m “trying.” I’m “working on it.” I’m “looking” are not characteristics I want to be known for. Additionally, they do not answer the question of your purpose.
Live to glorify God.
That’s it. That’s your purpose. You may choose or be called to do so in a plethora of different ways, but no matter what you do, you must do so to glorify God.
As a believer we ultimately answer to God for all things. That being the case, why not use scriptures’ urging to live a holy and righteous life in service of God? We have been bought with a price. Our life is no longer our own. We have been called to glorify God – why not apply this irrefutable biblical purpose for our lives to everything we do?
Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and father of our lord Jesus Christ (Romans 15:5-6).
We are told that there are people who have rejected God and/or are fallen away, and we have been told why: “…because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21).
God is simply encouraging us to do something that should be a natural reaction to every believer with a full understanding of their place in Christ. We are not our own, and we owe him everything. To glorify him for his work and for the gifts that he has given us (freedom, peace, joy, salvation, equal inheritance with Christ, a heavenly home and eternal existence with him just to name a few), seems to be the least we can do, and more importantly, it should be something we desire to do! It is after all, our reasonable service (Romans 12).
Understanding how much we owe God, having a grasp of the depth of our depravity without him, and getting just a nugget of truth of the penalty for our sin that has been removed from us should blow us away! It should stop us in our tracks and have us fall to our knees in constant homage and thanks to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who have made this possible.
Glorifying God should not be thought of as a word or even a burden. It should come to us as a natural extension of our salvation and relationship in him. It should be our individual purpose, and our purpose to cause this glorification of our savior to grow and accelerate in our lives. It should always come first, be foremost in our minds, and active in our talk and walk.
May all the glory be his.
