What is the meaning of life? Why are we here? These aren’t questions you ask lightly—they often arise in those shadowy, quiet times when all else seems to fade, and we’re left face-to-face with ourselves, searching for something that doesn’t slip away.
The song “Do You Know Where You’re Going To?” from Mahogany captures this sense of lostness:
“Do you know where you’re goin’ to?
Do you like the things that life is showin’ you?
Where are you goin’ to? Do you know?”
This question haunted me when I was younger. I had no idea where I was headed. I didn’t have hope because I didn’t even know what I should be hoping for. There was a sense that there was something worth finding, but I had no idea what it was, and without any purpose or anchor, I fell into a darkness that I couldn’t escape.
But everything changed when Christ revealed Himself to me. Suddenly, the darkness lifted and purpose burst into my life, lighting up my path like nothing else ever could. I discovered that I wasn’t just aimlessly wandering in this world. I belonged to God, and that belonging brought a new identity, a profound calling, and the greatest purpose: to proclaim the One who called me out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Peter writes to remind believers of this very truth:
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9, NASB).
We weren’t saved merely to be freed from sin. We were saved to step into a new life of glorious purpose: to proclaim His excellencies! When Jesus brings us into the light, our hearts come alive to our true telos—our purpose, our ultimate goal in life: to glorify God. We are called to share Him, to tell the world to “come and see” the One who changes everything, just as the Samaritan woman at the well did (John 4:29). Our lives now ring out the Psalmist’s invitation to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8), offering others a glimpse of the same hope and light that changed us.
With this purpose in our hearts, life becomes meaningful in the deepest way. The things that once consumed us—the endless quests for success, the empty pursuits for pleasure—now take a backseat. Instead, we live to fulfill the highest purpose any human heart could desire: glorifying God, proclaiming His goodness, and bringing others to marvel at His love.
The ache that once haunted me has been transformed. Now, with the truth of Christ before me, I can join Paul in declaring, “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Life is no longer a restless search but a joyful journey, walking each day with my eyes fixed on the One who holds my purpose and my eternity.
This prayer by Laurence Tuttiett captures the longing of my heart in response to this calling:
“Father, let me dedicate
all this year to thee,
in whatever worldly state
thou wilt have me be:
not from sorrow, pain or care
freedom dare I claim;
this alone shall be my prayer:
glorify thy name.”
So here is my prayer today and every day: that my life would be a reflection of His glory, that every word and action would declare His goodness, and that the heartbeat of my life would be His praise. No other pursuit can compare, no other resolve can satisfy. The world around us is filled with people searching for meaning, haunted by questions they cannot answer. But in Christ, we can be a testimony to the purpose and peace that only He can provide. May our lives ring out with the answer that brings life: in Him, we find our meaning, our purpose, our telos.
Amen.
Ken Beaton
Graduated from Northpoint Bible College in Haverhill, MA with a B.A. in Biblical Studies/Pastoral Ministry. He and his wife reside in Penfield, NY. Ken is an elder serving in Evangelical Church of Fairport for the past twenty years.
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