The Meaning of Life

1 Corinthians 6:20 ‘For you are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.’

Most people at one time or another have asked the questions ‘why am I here and what is the purpose of life?’ In today’s materialistic society, the majority of people measure the meaning and success of life by evaluation of a person’s popularity, possessions or power. While any of these achievements may not be wrong in and of themselves, neither has the capacity to provide the fulfilment or contentment that one is ultimately seeking. However, a Christians perspective on life and its meaning is, or should be, radically different. When a person accepts Jesus Christ as Saviour, s/he becomes a new creation, with new goals and ambitions in life. Jesus said in John 10:10 ‘I am come to give abundant life.’ And Paul in Acts 17:28 explains that ‘in Him (Jesus) we live, and move, and have our being.’ The Westminster Shorter Catechism puts the question and answer this way. What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.

While different religions and philosophies have various interpretations as to the meaning of life, today’s summarizes it succinctly – Christians are to glorify God in our bodies and in our spirits. We have been purchased by the price which Jesus paid on Calvary, and we now belong to God. As His possession, we are to live in accordance with the perspective, plans and purposes He has ordained for each individual life. And rather than set our sights on earthly accomplishments, we are advised to ‘set our affections on things above’ (Colossians 3:2). When we can say as the apostle Paul ‘to live is Christ and to die is gain’ we will have found the secret to a full, abundant life.

Have we lost our vision of what the true meaning of life is?
If so, how do we recover that vision?
What hinders us from experiencing abundant life?