Written by Dawn Rutan
What is the purpose of life? A quick internet search brought up the following quotes:
- “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” –Eleanor Roosevelt
- “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.” –Fyodor Dostoyevsky
- “The purpose of life is to contribute in some way to making things better.” –Robert F. Kennedy
These are not necessarily bad ideals. Certainly better than some like, “Grab all you can before you’re gone.” The Westminster Catechism says that man’s purpose is “To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” In Scripture Pharaoh is told, “But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you My power, so that My name may be proclaimed in all the earth” (Exodus 9:16 ESV). I think the same could be said for any of us.
Sometimes I find myself wondering, “What’s the point? Why should I get out of bed, go to work, and sit at my desk for 8 hours? Am I accomplishing anything of lasting value?” Some days those questions are easier to answer than others. We all feel more purposeful if we’re doing something productive. But when the work slows down, things don’t go well, or someone loses a job, have we lost our purpose? This verse from Exodus says the answer is “No!” Our purpose is not about what we can do, but what God is doing in us, through us, and around us. Pharaoh’s main talent was telling Moses to mind his own business. It didn’t really matter what Pharaoh did or didn’t do, because God had much bigger plans in the works.
I haven’t read Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life, but I know he gets one thing right—our purpose is about God, not us. As I’ve shared before (http://mental3degree.blogspot.com/2013/05/purposeful-living.html), God created us for relationship with Him, not because He needed us for some particular task. If we’re here to enjoy God and to be enjoyed by God, perhaps we can give ourselves a little grace when it comes to our life goals and list of accomplishments. God lets us off the hook of trying to prove our worth to Him and to one another. That’s not to say we shouldn’t apply ourselves to doing a good job in whatever we pursue. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might…” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).
For me, knowing that my purpose is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever means that I can be free to do some of the things that I enjoy rather than trying to pursue a corporate career, impress the bosses, or make a lot of money. My job has value to a certain segment of people and even for the eternal Kingdom, but it is not my reason for living. God could do the work through someone else or He could choose to end it, but my purpose and worth is in my relationship with Him. He can move me to a new role within His Body whenever He chooses. We tend to fall into the trap of thinking we have to accomplish great things for the Kingdom, when all God is asking is that we be faithful in the small things.
“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much” (Luke 16:10 ESV).
* I started this post last Friday, but circumstances made it clear to me that this is just barely scratching the surface. Perhaps there will be more to come.