• by
• 15 Comments

The Purpose of Life Is Not to Find the Purpose of Life

Let me begin with a question: Are you sure you want to spend the next few minutes digging into this very controversial topic? Since you are still here reading, I suppose you are ready. So here is my argument: the purpose of life is not to find the purpose of life.

Not long ago, a young woman in her early twenties came to my office seeking counsel. Her eyes were weary, her face perplexed. She sighed deeply, looked at me, and said, “Pastor, I am so confused. Please help me.”

Through tears, she recounted her story: the painful loss of her father, her attempt to follow his path in education and career, and her current struggle as she neared graduation. She was tormented by the thought that she might never discover her life’s true purpose.

I listened quietly for nearly twenty minutes, and then asked her one simple question:
“Why do you want to know the purpose of your life?”

At first, she thought the question bizarre. But here’s why I asked it.

Our culture has sold us a lie: that when we were born, God assigned us a single, specific thing to do, and if we fail to discover it, our lives are wasted. This lie begins early, when we are asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Later it becomes, “What career do you want?”

Of course, these questions are not wrong in themselves. But when purpose is reduced to a career, an event, or a single achievement, we shrink God’s design for human life. We end up believing that our worth depends on a 9–5 job, a diploma, or a title.

Yet think about it: would the God who created your soul, gave you a body, mind, and spirit, truly design you for nothing more than what a robot or an algorithm could eventually replace? Surely not.

Many young people today lose sleep, peace of mind, and even their faith in the pursuit of a narrowly defined “purpose.” They believe that once they find it and fulfill it, life is complete. But such a vision of life is tragically shallow.

Rarely do I hear young people say that their purpose is to be a faithful husband, wife, or parent, or to love their neighbor deeply, or to walk with God daily. Instead, “purpose” is described as a career path or a personal achievement—things that may have value, but do not last into eternity.

If our so-called purpose produces nothing that endures beyond death, then what profit is it?

So what, then, is the purpose of life? Scripture does not leave us guessing.

• We were created for God’s glory: “Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory” (Isaiah 43:7).
• We were redeemed to walk in good works: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).
• We are commanded to love God and neighbor: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind … and love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–39).
• And ultimately, we are destined to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29).

This means that your career, studies, and daily tasks are not the purpose of life—they are contexts in which you live out your true purpose. Whether as a student, engineer, teacher, artist, or parent, your ultimate calling is to glorify God, reflect Christ, and love others.

Here’s where this becomes very practical: though your career is not the ultimate purpose of your life, it still matters greatly how you pursue it. For the Christian, everything is an act of worship (Colossians 3:23). That means whether you are writing a paper, building a house, teaching a child, or preaching a sermon, you do it unto the Lord — with all your strength and with holy excellence.

Excellence is not perfectionism. It is the conviction that our work reflects the God we serve. A sloppy job dishonors Him, but a task done with diligence and beauty becomes a testimony of His worth. In this way, even the “small” tasks of life participate in something eternal.

So yes, your job is not your purpose. But when your true purpose—glorifying God—is clear, then your job, your studies, your art, and even your chores become sacred opportunities to display His glory with excellence.

The purpose of your life is not hidden like a riddle waiting to be solved. It is not a secret career path that you must anxiously discover. Your purpose has already been revealed in Christ: to know God, to glorify Him, and to serve others in love.

Everything else—work, family, ministry—becomes meaningful as it is placed under that greater purpose and pursued with excellence.

So stop searching for a narrow “life purpose” as though God is withholding it from you. Instead, embrace the eternal purpose He has already given: to walk with Him, love Him, and make Him known. And as you live this out, do everything so well that the world can see your life is not aimless, but anchored in Christ.

That is a purpose no machine can replace, no tragedy can erase, and no death can destroy.