Seven Big Questions: Does Life Have A Purpose?

Do you ever wonder, "Does Life Have A Purpose?" You are not alone. I hope this resonates with you no matter what you believe or where you are in your faith journey. Check out this brief edited excerpt from my latest book, 7 Big Questions, released on October 4. Pre-orders will be available soon. 

An Unexpected Response from the Bible 

You may already be rolling your eyes at the mention of the Bible. You may not believe that it's a source of reliable truth—and that's OK. A whole chapter is coming up, so go with me here for a bit. 

The Bible takes the question of life's purpose seriously. An entire book is devoted to the subject. It's called Ecclesiastes, and it's quite an intriguing text. The speaker in Ecclesiastes—likely King Solomon—answers the question with a resounding no. "Meaningless! Meaningless!" the writer says. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." 3 Well, I don't know about you, but that's not what I expected from the Bible. 

Like many, Solomon feels that life doesn't offer permanent satisfaction. You get a girlfriend. At first, you think she'll make you happy, but the romance fades pretty soon. You're making money and feeling pretty good about it, but then you hear about your friend's raise. Suddenly you feel inadequate. You make the team, but you lose the championship. You buy things. You get the promotion. You do all the things you're supposed to do. And so what? None of it keeps you happy forever. Nothing satisfies permanently. You still experience sneaking feelings of emptiness, incompletion, and discontent. Or maybe it's the monotony of life that gets to you. Another diaper to change, another deal to close, another dinner to make. The daily grind is mind-numbing and overwhelming. It's easy to begin to lose any sense of a greater purpose.