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Does Life Have a Purpose? A Biblical Perspective Centered on Jesus

“Why am I here?” “What is the point of it all?” “Does my life have any real meaning or purpose?” Questions like these echo deep within the human spirit. We instinctively search for significance beyond mere existence, for a reason behind our days. People pursue purpose through careers, relationships, achievements, experiences, or contributing to various causes. While many pursuits offer temporary satisfaction, a deeper longing often remains – a sense that there must be something more, something lasting. From a biblical perspective, that longing is intentional, placed within us by a Creator who designed us for a purpose far greater than anything the world alone can offer.

The Bible presents a radically different view of purpose compared to a purely secular one. Instead of suggesting that purpose is something we invent for ourselves, it reveals that true, lasting purpose is found in relationship with the One who made us: God Himself. And the key to understanding and living out a purpose like that is found in the person of Jesus Christ. He didn’t just talk about purpose; His entire life, death, and resurrection redefine it. For anyone seeking genuine meaning or for new Christians wanting to grasp God’s plan, looking at life’s purpose through the lens of Jesus is profoundly illuminating and deeply fulfilling.

Let’s explore the biblical answer to life’s great question, discovering how knowing and following Jesus unlocks the most wonderful and significant purpose imaginable.

Discovering Your Purpose in God Through Jesus

What does the Bible say about our purpose? At its core, our primary purpose is to know God and glorify Him forever. Glorifying God means reflecting His character, living in a way that honors Him, and finding our deepest joy in Him. A purpose like that isn’t a restrictive command but an invitation into the most meaningful existence possible – living in alignment with our Creator’s design. It encompasses several key elements, all perfectly modeled and made possible by Jesus: knowing God intimately, loving Him wholeheartedly, loving others sacrificially, using our gifts for His glory, and participating in His redemptive work in the world.

Here are ten foundational aspects of life’s purpose, revealed and centered in the person of Jesus Christ:

Fact 1: Purpose is Found in Knowing God Through Jesus

The Bible teaches that the very foundation of a purposeful life is knowing God personally. Jesus Himself defined eternal life – the ultimate fulfillment of our purpose – not just as unending existence, but as knowing the one true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent. A relationship like that isn’t merely intellectual knowledge; it’s intimate fellowship, understanding His character, experiencing His love, and walking in communion with Him. Jesus is the only way to truly know God the Father (John 14:6).

Importance: Why is knowing God through Jesus the starting point for purpose? Because God created us for God. Trying to find ultimate meaning apart from Him is like a fish trying to find purpose outside of water. For you, recognizing a truth like that reorients your search for meaning. Lasting purpose isn’t found in what you do but in whom you know. A personal relationship with God through Jesus provides the context, foundation, and ultimate goal for a truly significant life.

Scripture: John 17:3 (ESV) “And eternal life is knowing you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

Fact 2: Jesus Shows Purpose Involves Glorifying God

Jesus lived His entire life with one overarching aim: to glorify His Father in heaven. He perfectly reflected God’s character, obeyed His will, and pointed people toward Him. Our purpose, following His example, is likewise to live for God’s glory – to make His goodness and greatness known through our words, actions, attitudes, and character. We glorify God when we live in a way that honors Him and reflects His love to the world.

Importance: Understanding that your purpose includes glorifying God shifts your focus from self-centered ambition to God-centered living. It answers the question, “For whom do I live?” For you, aiming to glorify God provides a noble, overarching goal for every area of life – work, family, relationships, and personal conduct. It infuses ordinary activities with eternal significance. When your aim is God’s glory, guided by Jesus’s example, you find meaning not just in big achievements but in faithfulness in the everyday.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV) “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Fact 3: Jesus Reveals Purpose Includes Loving God Supremely

When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus affirmed the Old Testament teaching: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). Our purpose involves responding to God’s initiating love with our wholehearted love, devotion, trust, and obedience. A love like that isn’t just an emotion; it’s a commitment of our entire being to Him, fueled by gratitude for His love shown in Jesus.

Importance: Why is loving God central to our purpose? Because He is supremely worthy of our love, and we were designed for a relationship like that. Trying to find fulfillment elsewhere leaves us empty. For you, prioritizing love for God brings proper order to your affections and priorities. When He holds first place in your heart, other aspects of life find their right perspective. Loving God wholeheartedly, as Jesus demonstrated, is the pathway to the deepest joy and alignment with your created design.

Scripture: Matthew 22:37-38 (ESV) “And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. A commandment like that is the great and first commandment.’”

Fact 4: Jesus Demonstrates Purpose Includes Loving Others

Immediately after stating the greatest commandment, Jesus added a second that is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). Jesus perfectly modeled a love like that through His selfless service, compassion, forgiveness, and sacrifice for others. Our God-given purpose is inextricably linked to how we treat the people around us. We are called to reflect God’s love by loving and serving others sacrificially.

Importance: Recognizing that loving others is a core part of your purpose prevents faith from becoming purely internal or self-focused. It connects your relationship with God directly to your relationships with people. For you, actively loving your neighbor – family, friends, colleagues, even enemies – becomes a primary way you live out your purpose and glorify God. Jesus’s example challenges you to move beyond self-interest and invest in the well-being of others, finding meaning in service and compassion.

Scripture: Matthew 22:39 (ESV) “And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Fact 5: Jesus Gives Purpose Through a Relationship with Him (Abiding)

Jesus used the analogy of a vine and branches to describe the source of a fruitful, purposeful life. He said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Purposeful living flows directly from staying connected to Jesus – drawing strength, guidance, and life from Him through prayer, His Word, and fellowship with His people.

Importance: Understanding that purpose flows from abiding in Jesus relieves the pressure of trying to achieve significance through own efforts. It highlights dependence on Him. For you, focusing on nurturing your connection with Jesus – spending time with Him daily – becomes the key to a fruitful and meaningful life. Purpose isn’t something you manufacture; it’s a natural outflow of staying vitally linked to Him, the source of all true life and significance.

Scripture: John 15:5 (ESV) “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

Fact 6: Jesus Provides Purpose in Using Our Gifts for God

The Bible teaches that God gives every believer spiritual gifts – unique abilities empowered by the Holy Spirit – intended for serving others and building up the church (1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12). Jesus’s parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) illustrates the importance of faithfully using whatever resources and abilities God entrusts to us for His purposes. Part of our purpose is discovering and employing our God-given gifts for His glory and the good of others.

Importance: Knowing God has equipped you with specific gifts for a purpose brings significance to your unique abilities and experiences. It counters feelings of uselessness or comparison with others. For you, discovering and using your spiritual gifts provides a specific avenue for meaningful contribution within God’s plan. Whether your gifts involve teaching, serving, encouraging, leading, showing mercy, or something else, using them for God’s purposes brings fulfillment and makes a tangible difference.

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:10 (ESV) “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace…”

Fact 7: Jesus Offers Purpose in Sharing His Good News

Before ascending to heaven, Jesus gave His followers a clear mission, often called the Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19). Part of our purpose as followers of Jesus is participating in God’s mission by sharing the good news of His love, forgiveness, and salvation found in Christ with others. We get to be ambassadors, inviting people into the same purposeful relationship with God we enjoy.

Importance: Participating in God’s mission gives your life a purpose larger than yourself. It connects you to God’s global redemptive plan. For you, sharing the hope you have found in Jesus, whether through words or actions, infuses your life with eternal significance. Knowing you can play a part in helping others find true purpose in Christ is deeply motivating and fulfilling. It turns your faith outward toward blessing the world.

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20a (ESV) “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

Fact 8: Jesus Models Purpose Through Obedience to the Father

Jesus’s life was characterized by perfect obedience to His Father’s will. He stated, “I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38). Even facing the cross, His prayer was, “not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). His example shows that a core element of purposeful living is aligning our will with God’s revealed will (found in Scripture) and obeying Him out of love and trust.

Importance: Seeing obedience as part of purpose clarifies that following Jesus involves submission to His loving authority. It counters the idea that purpose is solely about self-fulfillment on own terms. For you, choosing obedience to God’s commands, guided by Jesus’s example, leads to blessing, protection, and deeper intimacy with Him. While sometimes difficult, obedience born from love demonstrates trust and aligns you with God’s good and perfect design for your life, which is the path to true fulfillment.

Scripture: John 14:15 (ESV) “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

Fact 9: Jesus Secures Our Ultimate Purpose: Eternal Life with God

Ultimately, our earthly purpose points toward an eternal one. Because of Jesus’s death and resurrection, those who trust in Him are guaranteed eternal life – not just unending existence, but a perfect, joyful, face-to-face relationship with God forever in a renewed creation free from sin, suffering, and death. Jesus secured our ultimate destiny and purpose: to dwell with God and enjoy Him forever.

Importance: Understanding your ultimate purpose in eternal life with God provides profound hope and perspective for your present life. It assures you that your efforts to live for God now have eternal value. For you, knowing your ultimate destiny is secure in Christ frees you from striving for temporary validation and empowers you to live boldly for Him today. A hope like that anchors your soul through life’s difficulties, reminding you that current struggles are temporary compared to the eternal glory secured by Jesus.

Scripture: John 14:2-3 (ESV) “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am, you may be also.”

Fact 10: Jesus Lived the Most Purposeful Life (The Perfect Example)

Looking at Jesus’s life, we see purpose perfectly fulfilled. He knew His mission (to seek and save the lost, to do the Father’s will), He lived in constant communion with the Father, He loved God and people perfectly, He used His gifts powerfully, He obeyed completely, and He finished the work God gave Him to do (John 17:4). He is the ultimate example of a life lived with clarity, significance, and unwavering focus on God’s purposes.

Importance: Having Jesus as the perfect example of a purposeful life gives you a clear model to emulate. You don’t have to guess what a life lived for God looks like. For you, studying Jesus’s life provides inspiration and practical guidance for pursuing your God-given purpose. His example encourages you to seek clarity on God’s will, prioritize your relationship with the Father, love sacrificially, and live with eternal perspective, following in the footsteps of the One who lived with ultimate meaning.

Scripture: John 17:4 (ESV) “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.” (Jesus praying to the Father).

Finding Your Meaning in Him

Does life have a purpose? From a biblical perspective, the answer is a resounding yes! But true, lasting purpose isn’t found in fleeting worldly pursuits or self-defined goals. It’s discovered in knowing and glorifying the God who created you, made possible through a personal relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. Living a purposeful life involves loving God, loving others, using your gifts in service, sharing the hope of Christ, and obeying God’s will, all flowing from an abiding connection with Jesus.

If you are searching for meaning, or if you are a new Christian seeking direction, the invitation is clear: Look to Jesus. He not only shows us the purpose for which we were made, but He empowers us through His Spirit to live it out. Finding your purpose isn’t a complex formula; it’s about surrendering your life to Him, trusting Him, and following where He leads. In Jesus, you find the ultimate reason for living – a purpose that satisfies the deepest longings of your soul and extends into eternity.

Thank you today for letting Olive Branch Publishing offer you insights that can help you grow as a new Christian in today’s world.