What is the Meaning of Life?

Many times in this world we have witnessed the life of people who seemingly had everything; we’ve witnessed people who had wealth, possessions, fame and even influence and yet these same people have felt empty, lost and misguided.
When a famous person commits suicide, we sometimes wonder how such a person would take his/her life when they seemed to have adoring fans and wealth that could last a lifetime.
We become perplexed when people who seem to have it all, appear unhappy and fall into the snare of depression, drug addiction and many other different issues.
These type of scenarios prove something very important: It proves that fame, money and possessions do not always give us meaning in life.
Many people have sought things that they thought would help them self-actualize but only to become disappointed and empty after they achieve the goals that they thought would bring them happiness.
Many people have sought that job; that lifestyle; that relationship; or that position and influence in life but only to find themselves unsatisfied, feeling empty or greedy for more.

In Ecclesiastes 1:2, King Solomon writes: “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”

This statement came from a man who seemed to have everything. He was the richest man on the earth; he had power; he had influence; he had possessions; he was famous; he had many wives and concubines yet he said that everything is meaningless.

So the question becomes the following: What is the meaning of life? Is life really meaningless? How do we find meaning in life?

When we make simple and objective observations we can easily conclude that almost everything on our planet serves a purpose. From natural things such as the clouds, the trees, the soil, the wind, the sun, the bees, the animals and so much more – these things play a part in our ecosystem to bring balance. It is also the same with man-made objects. Our man-made structures and objects were built by man to serve a specific purpose. For example, from a simple invention such as a paperclip to complex creations such as buildings, bridges, computers, vehicles and software programs, it is evident mankind built all these things with a specific purpose and for a specific reason.
Therefore all things that are made and designed by an intelligent being were designed to serve a specific purpose. The designer or creator is therefore the one who gives or assigns purpose to his/her own creation.

Therefore our meaning and our purpose in life come from only one source – God our Creator.
Without God in our life, we cannot truly understand the meaning and purpose of life. Individually we cannot discover who we are and what we are meant to be without the involvement and participation of our Creator.

In Genesis 1:31 we see that God created everything and He saw that it was good. All that He created was designed to serve a purpose on the planet, including mankind.

In Genesis 1:26-28 we see that Adam and Eve were created with meaning and purpose.
1. They were made in God’s image. This means that they had godly qualities and characteristics. Man’s identity in life was in God. They were designed to have a personal relationship with their Creator
2. They were also given the mandate to have dominion over the earth. They were given rulership and were caretakers of the planet
3. They were given the purpose of being fruitful and to multiply in the earth.

Notice in Genesis 1:26-28 that it is God Himself who gives mankind both meaning and purpose in life. It is God who created mankind with a specific objective and purpose.
Therefore God is ultimately the Source of our meaning and purpose in life.

Without God in our life, we cannot find meaning and we cannot truly discover our purpose in life.
Hence, this is why neither wealth, possessions, sex, fame nor influence can truly give us meaning and purpose. We may seek these things, but yet when we have obtained them, we either find ourselves still feeling empty inside or we find ourselves greedily seeking more due to lack of satisfaction.

In Ecclesiastes 3:11 it says that God “has set eternity in the hearts of men…”
This means that within the soul of man, he/she is aware that there is more to life than just living in the present. Therefore there is something eternal and fulfilling that we as human beings profusely desire.
As humans we cannot be satisfied by the material and natural – instead we inwardly yearn and desire for something that is beyond the things that we can touch and see.

Our human void can only be filled in knowing God and in having a genuine relationship with Him.
The human void that all humans have, came as a result of the curse of sin by Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:1-24).
When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they thought that they could live their life without God’s direction and counsel. They thought that they could find meaning and purpose without God. They thought they could find meaning and purpose by their own strength and knowledge.
Instead their sin created a human void that is found in every human being. Their sin created a human emptiness which can only be filled by God whom they initially disobeyed.

John 6:35 says “Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Are you looking for meaning and purpose in your life? Then seek God and seek a relationship with Him.
Understand that you are empty because of sin. Understand that sin is the reason why we are separated from a good and loving God. Believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross to pay for your sins so that you may have eternal life. Through faith, receive Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour.