Question on the Purpose of Life *

Ananya asks a mulifaceted question on the purpose of life:

Q: "What is the purpose of my life? All my life I have believed in god and always felt him but in the past few months I feel emptied out and I don’t feel him. I want a content and peaceful life and I am still in search of it. How do I help people if I am helpless? Deep inside me I want to help."

A: Ananya, you ask some very big life questions. Thanks for asking. Since you have asked four, let me try and answer them all by tying them all together, because they are related.
When you talk about understanding the purpose of life and ask “what is the purpose of life?” you assume that there is someone who can give you purpose in life, someone who can answer this question. That person is certainly not me, or any other human. To understand the purpose of our lives, we have got to know the One who gives us life itself, the One who made us. When we know the One who created us, and gave us life to live, we can then know the purpose of life. The One who created us, gives to us a user’s manual or sorts to live life by. The Bible answers this fundamental life question, when it says in the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” (Revelation 4:11). If we exist because of God’s will, it follows then, that the primary purpose of our life is to know this God by whose will we were created, and to bring glory to Him through our lives. The primary purpose of my life and yours as created beings is to know God personally, through a relationship. However, it is difficult to know a God who we cannot reach. When we could not reach up to Him, He reached down to us, in the person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Through believing in Jesus, we have a personal relationship with God, our Creator. That is the primary purpose of life, from which all other purposes flow. Once you know Him, He’ll provide direction and guidance and more purpose and meaning in life.

What I’ve said thus far is related to the remaining three questions you have asked. If you have believed in god, I would ask which god? The reason you feel emptied out, and don’t “feel” Him is because perhaps you have never known Him personally through Jesus Christ. Jesus not only offers us a relationship with Himself, but offers us the forgiveness of sins (all the things we attempt to do on our own, apart from God, to satisfy ourselves, but only end up empty as a result). Not only does He forgive sins, but He promises us satisfaction in life—to fill up the empty void in the human heart. Blaise Pascal, the famous French philosopher and mathematician has said there is a God-shaped vacuum in every human heart, which can only be filled by God. He was referring to Jesus Christ and the satisfaction He offers you. If you feel that empty void, you can invite Jesus to fill that void, and satisfy you. And when you allow Him to take control of your life, He will also give you the peace and contentment that you are in search of.

Lastly, Ananya, I would say to you, you are right about being helpless. In fact, we are all helpless on our own as human beings. That is why Jesus came, to offer us help. The realization that you are helpless is a wonderful thing, and God may be using that to direct you to Himself. I suggest that you call out to Him for help. He is willing to help you. In the quietness of your home, set aside some time, and call out to Jesus. Tell Him you are helpless in life and need help. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. He will not disappoint you. In some way, He will show you that He has heard, and indeed He will send you help. After you get help from Him, believe me, you will be much better equipped to help others, and as a result of a life transformed by Jesus, you will supernaturally find yourself helping others.

If you have more questions please feel free to reach out to us. God bless you, Ananya, and it is my prayer that you find great purpose, peace, and power in life. They are all available to you in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Kenny Damara

* See previous post for more info about this Q&A