Why are we here? This question has puzzled humanity for almost as long as humanity has existed, but probably never more so than it does in this 21st century. What children are taught in the public schools of our generation and the message we all are eventually subjected to by the world is simple: life is meaningless. We are said to be a mere byproduct of random chance, essentially consisting of little more than rearranged pond scum that will one day die and be forgotten. We’re supposedly no more valuable than a passing breeze or a stick of wood, for they, too, will soon pass away with little notice.

And yet despite Satan’s best efforts to convince us of these things, within each of our hearts is the yearning to do something important, something lasting, with our lives. Few of us never aspired to be an astronaut, the president or a movie star. Perhaps these aspirations were not as eternally significant as we once believed, but they nonetheless reflected a desire to live a purposeful life. Even as adults we pursue romance not only to love, but to be loved; we have children to leave a living part of us behind once we ourselves are gone; we write blog posts because we want to be part of a conversation deeper than next week’s weather forecast. Ultimately, I think one of the greatest fears deep within the heart of every human is that we will one day be forgotten.

As Christians, however, our faith is that we not only can find purpose in life, but that we were actually created with a Divine purpose – specifically, to enjoy an intimate relationship with our Creator and to do so in a way that brings constant glory to His name (Ps. 112:1; Rev. 3:20). And not only were we created with a purpose to fulfill in this life, but we have been given an invitation from God Himself  to spend eternity free from every doubt, fear, and insecurity in heaven with Him. If all of this isn’t enough to keep you motivated, recall that in the meantime we have been commissioned to execute the biggest rescue mission of all time by preaching the Gospel of salvation in all corners of the earth (Mark 16:15).

I’m not trying to give anybody an overinflated sense of importance. There are enough authors, speakers and musicians who make it their priority to build your self-esteem. That’s not my goal here. It’s simply to remind you of a simple yet profound Biblical truth: when He was on the cross, it was out of love for you and me. And through His death and resurrection, we are given hope and meaning much greater than we ever thought possible. So as you live your life, be careful never to allow this realization to slip away. The greatest misery one can experience is in feeling you haven’t a future (1 Cor. 15:19), but if you’re a Christian then the best is yet to come.