What is the meaning of life according to the Bible?
To define your life by the things you have is vanity
Some weeks ago, I asked this question to some people:
What is the meaning of life according to the Bible?
The responses were thoughtful, sincere, and deeply encouraging. They reminded me that, despite the noise of our age, many people are still genuinely searching for answers to life’s deepest questions.
This article is my attempt to build on those responses, not to dismiss them, but to expand the conversation and bring biblical balance to it.
I’ll begin with an interesting observation from David Kim:
“People throughout history have tried to find the meaning of life scientifically, biologically, philosophically, and spiritually. Most of the time, people are busy living their lives rather than thinking about the meaning of it.”
To not question the meaning of life is to not be intentional about your existence. And anyone who isn’t intentional about their existence has never lived even though they have existed for many years.
To be intentional about your existence is to live from a place of consciousness, understanding that every action of yours should be taken purposefully, and every word you say should have an intent.
Sadly, most people are merely asleep in this realm of existence. They go about their daily routine, talk to people, work, find romance, and even have children, yet they’re asleep. They have not come in contact with the world on their inside.
So, it is good we start asking questions about our life and things around us.
If we found ourselves here on this earth, is there a possibility we existed before now?
What happens when we leave this world?
What is our life all about?
To answer the question of the meaning of life, we must go back to the beginning, where it all began.
God created the beginning, so he must have answers to our questions.
God, being merciful, has left us signs to help us understand who he is and what we are doing here.
He also inspired some people to write these things down so that generations to come will have fewer questions to ask.
This book is called the Bible.
There are many text from different religions that tries to explain the beginning of all things and who God is. But I’ve not found any as verifiable and powerful as the Bible.
In fact, that’s why I’m a Christian. Not because someone preached to me, but because I find the God of the Bible a more accurate explanation of all things. I’ve experienced his life and power, and I have tangible proofs of his existence in my life.
If I ever wanted to argue against this faith, it would be along the lines of the wrong institutionalisation of Christianity and the gross blindness in Bible interpretation and doctrine.
So, to not make this too long, I’d cut to the chase immediately. God is the go-to to understand what life is, and since we already have the knowledge about him documented in the Bible, the Bible becomes the book that answers our question about life.
The first time the word “life” was mentioned in the Bible was in Genesis 1:20:
“And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.”
The word “life” as used in that verse is the Hebrew word “khah’-ee,” which means “living, alive.”
This, however, speaks about the biological aspect of aliveness, which talks about the ability of our body to respond to stimuli here on earth.
Fast-forward to Jesus; he had this to say (sorry, I merged several thoughts here to save time and space in this response):
John 1:4, “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”
This means, in Jesus was life.
Also, John 14:6 says:
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
So, Jesus is life. That means life can only be properly defined and understood from the owner of life.
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Back to our discussion …
So, what does life mean, or what is it all about?
John 17:3, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
Knowing God and Jesus Christ is the summation of what life means.
This means if you do not yet know the Father, even if you have worldly possessions, intellectual knowledge, family, children, etc., you don’t yet understand what life is.
Solomon had all these and said at the end of time, this is vanity.
It means to define your life by the things you have is VANITY.
At the end of the day, all these things will fade away and only what you have found with the Father will last forever.
In the verse above, the word “know” is the Greek word “ghin-oce’-ko”
It means to “learn, understand, have knowledge of”
The Jews used the word when they were talking about sexual intercourse between a man and a woman. So, to know God is not to have heard about him only. It is to have a close, intimate walk with God. It is to understand who the Father is and have a relationship with him, just as a man has an intimate relationship with his wife.
This is not exhaustive, but this is the beginning of life.
You have not yet known the meaning of life if you do not have a relationship with the Father.
If you have a relationship with the Father, you will know that that is what life is all about.
Money, family, wealth are good, but they cannot give you the fulfilment your soul longs for. You can have all these and still not have the peace of life.
Life’s meaning can only come from having a walk with the Father.
Today is a good day to start your walk if you do not have one yet.