This is a transcript of Episode 4 of the WAK Talk podcast. To listen, click here.
Is life meaningless?
Or a better question might be: Are you afraid your life is meaningless?
Everyone wants their life to mean something. We like to feel needed and important. We want to matter in this world. And we like to have purpose, even if we aren’t living like we do.
Self-Examination
Maybe you’re struggling with your thoughts right now. Maybe you’re afraid that each day you’ve been wasting your time living because you don’t know if there is a purpose to any of it. Maybe you’ve come to realize that everything you’ve been running after isn’t adding up to anything at all.
I have two questions for you: What are you going to do about it? And do you know Jesus?
Let’s deal with the first question to start: All of these feelings about your life leading to nowhere and the strong desire for a meaningful life, what are you going to do about it?
Are you going to stay stuck in the rut of—sleep, eat, work, TV, and then start the cycle all over again? Are you going to wallow in self-pity and be discouraged or depressed? Are you going to continue on your aimless path? Or are you going to search for answers?
I get it. Life is hard and confusing sometimes. I get up early every morning, eat breakfast, go to work and say and do almost the same thing each day, come home to eat dinner, put my three kids to bed, clean up the kitchen, relax a little with my wife, go to bed and start all over again. It’s hard not to think: What’s the point? Why do I do this everyday? I feel stuck. When I start thinking this way, I pause and take a step back to do some self-examining and ask: Where do I want my life to go? What are my goals and dreams? What am I currently doing to get there? And most importantly, why do I want these things? Why do I want my life to go a certain direction?
Sure, some of these questions may be easy to answer and they are great questions to ask. But the “why” question should really make you stop in your tracks and think about your life a little harder. Why do you want that job or promotion? Why do you want to make more money? Why do you want a family? Why do you want to get married? Why do you want to buy a house? Why do you want to travel the world?
What are you truly after? Will any of these things bring your life meaning?
What Gives Life Meaning?
What gives life meaning anyway? Only truth can give life meaning because the truth about this world and the reason we are here is what tells us our identity and purpose. It’s what gives us a reason to live another day. It’s what tells us we’re worth something. We’re valued. We’re loved.
That brings us to the second question I asked earlier: Do you know Jesus?
Jesus said He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. That’s a big statement. Unlike the many religious gurus out there, Jesus didn’t say I found the way to happiness and eternal life. He said I am the Way. He didn’t say look deep inside yourself to find the truth. He said I am the Truth. He didn’t say do these five things everyday and you will truly be living. He said I am the Life. There is no other religion, spiritual experience, or self-help guru who makes these claims.
So, what if Jesus is who He says He is? What if He is the Son of God, fully man and fully God? What if He died on the cross for our sins and rose to life again? What if He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life?
If He is who He says He is, that changes everything. That means you don’t have to make something of yourself. You don’t have to prove your worth. You don’t have to find meaning or make your life meaningful on your own.
You were made with worth and value. Listen to Psalm 139 verses 13-16: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” When someone knits something, they aren’t just throwing a jumbled mess together. They are carefully creating a work of art. Something that is valuable to the one who made it. That’s who you are to God. He made you just the way He wanted you for a specific purpose. Your purpose was ordained by God before you were born. He loves and values you.
And God proved that He loves and values you by sending His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross to save you from your sins. He died to remind you that He made you for a purpose and that your life means something. He didn’t want to leave you in your sin. He didn’t simply stand idly by holding you responsible to figure life out for yourself only to end in death, leaving a meaningless life behind. Jesus stepped down from His heavenly throne to be born as a human baby and experience life as we do. He lived the perfect life, one without sin, as an example of the life we were made for. And He willingly gave His life for you and me to be freed from our sins. Then He rose back to life to free us from death itself so that we could have life. So that we could understand that our life is not meaningless. It was paid for at a great cost. The cost was the blood of Jesus, the one and only Son of God.
Without Jesus, Life is Meaningless
Even King Solomon, the wisest and richest man, questioned the meaning of life. He found all things in this world to be meaningless if we do them for ourselves. He talks about his conclusion in the book of Ecclesiastes. He says: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14) King Solomon’s conclusion is that our life is not about us. It’s all about God. It’s all about Jesus.
Colossians 1, verses 15-17 tell us: “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” All things were created by Him and for Him.
That’s good news because it means the meaning of life isn’t found in ourselves or this world. It’s only found in the One who created us. The weight of finding the meaning of life can be taken off our shoulders. If the wisest man, King Solomon, couldn’t find any meaning in this life without God, then you and I can’t either.
Here’s the thing: Do you want to settle for less than what you were made for? Do you want to settle for the cheap things of this world? Do you want to run after things that will only turn to dust in the end? Or do you want to set your eyes on Jesus, the Everlasting King of kings and Lord of lords? The Way, the Truth, and the Life?
You see, life without Jesus is meaningless. It’s running after the wind. Without Jesus, doing a self-examination like I recommended earlier will always put you back on the same path that leaves you questioning the meaning of life. Your life is going nowhere without Jesus. Without Jesus, life is simply about taking whatever you can, only to leave it all behind when you die. But with Jesus, the things you do in this life can impact the life to come.
An Anchor
Maybe you still don’t like the answer you’re hearing. You want to be able to make your own life and meaning in this world. And at times, it may seem like you have it all figured out. You may even feel pretty high on life some days, but what happens when you hit a bad spot? When your world seems to crumble before your eyes and you don’t see a way out. What will you do then? Who will you turn to or what will you grab hold of?
I know it may be difficult to picture this kind of circumstance unless you’ve been through it or know someone who has. But one thing to remember is that nothing in this world is permanent. Your relationships, money, time, careers, your things, your pets, health, and everything else in your life will one day be gone. And you’ll wonder why you ever tried to make that your anchor in life. You put expectations on something or someone that they couldn’t fulfill. They weren’t made to fulfill. But there is Someone outside and above this world who is everything you need. Jesus is a foundation and anchor for you and me.
When nothing in this world seems to make any sense and our life is spiraling out of control, He is there. We may be good at putting up walls and acting like we have everything together at times, but none of the walls outlast the storm. Only Jesus is greater and stronger than the storm. Only Jesus is a foundation and anchor to grab hold of. Only Jesus gives us meaning and purpose. He tells us who we are, who He made us to be. Why would we not listen to and follow our Maker? He has a much greater and more complete perspective of our life and this world to direct and guide us. We are only a speck in a vast universe. But God created the entire universe. Proverbs 3, verses 19 and 20 tell us: “By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; by his knowledge the watery depths were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.” There is nothing out of God’s control.
When a storm in life tries to sweep us away, Jesus is there to hold us through it all. He brings us back to the truth. When life feels meaningless, we can turn to Jesus and be reminded that He made all things for Himself, for a special purpose.
What is our Purpose?
So, what is our purpose? Going back to what King Solomon said: “Fear God and keep His commandments.” The fear he is referring to is reverence—having a deep respect and adoration for God. Be in awe of Him. Honor Him. Live for Him alone. How do we live for Him? By keeping His commandments. This is more than just following a bunch of rules. God created life itself in this big universe. He knows every detail of the heavens and the earth. And He tells us exactly who we are and why He made us. His commandments are more like instructions for how to live the best life possible. If we choose not to follow them, then our life will be meaningless and purposeless. Therefore, God’s commandments should influence our every word and deed. In Matthew 22, verses 37-40 Jesus said the greatest commandment is this: “‘“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’”
Love the Lord your God by living in the way He created you to live and for the purposes He called you to. Do all things for the Lord because He gave you breath. And He made a way for you to truly live through His Son dying on the cross and rising to life again to free you from sin and death. Live in a way that points others to Jesus. Love your neighbor by sharing the Way, the Truth, and the Life with them. Tell them about Jesus!
We don’t find meaning in life by trying to impress others with our intelligence, wealth, position, or abilities. We find meaning in accepting that God made us with different skills, abilities, and talents to bring Him glory and honor. He made us to reflect Him to the world. He made us to have a relationship with Him in order to know Him better and go out and make Him known.
If you want a meaningful life, get to know Jesus. A life without Jesus is no life at all.
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