Sometimes we can feel purposeless and forget that God made us for a reason. But when we read the Bible the purposes of God that he has for us as believers are made explicit.
We were made with the intent to first have a personal relationship with God and bring glory to his name through the things he has called us to do. As we walk with him, our love for him creates within us a desire to walk in his purposes and to deny ourselves.
There have been times in my life when I felt purposeless… when I lacked an understanding of what God’s purposes were for me.
This has happened when I focused on striving, instead of what God is calling me to. This led me to feel insecure, lost and like a failure. But when I read the Bible I know that he has great plans for me, just like he has for you.
You can be reminded of this in Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV): “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” His truth refocuses our minds and allows us to be redirected toward attending to the purposes he has for our lives.
What Is Our Purpose on Earth According to the Bible?
God has a purpose for everything. He has an individual plan for your life. He made you to specifically be a child, a parent, a sibling, a friend, an employee, etc., in ways that will benefit others.
But the bigger picture is that God made you first and foremost to have a relationship with him: your greatest purpose. Fostering and tending to this relationship should be your main priority—by connecting with him throughout the day in prayer, reading the Bible, and practicing other spiritual disciplines to draw you closer to him.
You must be thinking about him and aiming to do everything for him. Putting him first is key. He created you for this and through this relationship you can do the other things he made you for.
You should make his name known to others and testify to what he has done in your life. Your relationship with him is the greatest purpose you have on earth according to the Bible. This goes back to the greatest commandment of loving him with all your heart, soul and mind.
What Is the Will of God in Our Lives?
Following God’s will for your life means you have surrendered your life to him when you committed to a personal relationship with him. It means you want his plans for your life and acknowledge them as the best.
You place yourself in a dependent position with him and are humble before him daily. This allows his will to take place in your life as you seek direction from him in prayer and you allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you.
When you want his kingdom first in your life and in this world, it shows God that you are seeking his desires. He will meet all your needs. He wants you to follow his commandments. This is prioritizing your relationship with him above yourself. This is his will, always.
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33, NIV)
3 Purposes of God
When you put your relationship with Jesus first—desiring his will for your life—3 purposes should be strived for, as listed in his greatest commandment. They are to love God, and love people like you love yourself.
“‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘“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.”’” (Matthew 22:36-39, NIV)
Fulfilling these commands depends on your relationship with him being your top priority and wanting his will for your life over all. These are great purposes that God has outlined for you in the Bible. It’s necessary that you know them and strive to live them out every day.
This can be accomplished when you are aware of them, and pray to walk with and be led by the Holy Spirit. Below I have outlined the 3 purposes of God listed in the greatest commandment, with tips of how to live them out on an everyday basis.
1. Purposes of God: Loving God
As listed in the greatest commandment above, loving God is of utmost importance. It means you do it with all your heart, soul and mind. It entails a complete submission to him. This means that you seek him to be first in all these areas.
You should live your life intentionally—trying to draw closer to him—giving him anything that will stop you from being fully submitted to him in these areas. You should evaluate your life to see if you are putting anything or anyone above him. It’s a daily process and you need to investigate within to make sure nothing is getting in the way.
You can do a heart check every day by asking God in prayer if there is any hurt, pain, struggle from the past (or present) that is blocking your heart connection with him. Check with him to make sure you are not putting any pursuit above him in your heart. Guard your heart as scripture tells you.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23, NIV)
Your soul includes your emotions, so make sure you are not making decisions based on them. When you get angry or feel sad or jealous, don’t act on that: go to God first and pour your feelings out to him. Every day, lay out your emotions to him in prayer so as not to be guided by them.
You can love God with your mind by taking thoughts captive that don’t please him right away. Think about things that are honoring him. Examine your motives.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8, NIV)
Loving God is your greatest purpose. Make sure you are always striving to live in this manner above all.
2. Purposes of God: Loving yourself
God loves you and wants you to love and praise him for how he made you, his creation. He made you to love yourself instinctively, by design.
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:14 NIV)
You should not be boasting about yourself or think you are the best. Loving yourself means you love God and put him first in your life, focusing on him. Trusting that he will take care of you… and he will.
As you love yourself, you can in turn love others with his love, which is what everyone truly needs and desires.
Loving yourself is knowing your identity in Christ, which you can find in the Bible. It’s also knowing the Bible in general, in order to know God.
Reading the Bible daily helps you to find encouragement in God and see yourself as he does. It also allows you to grow in your relationship with God and show you where you need to change to be more like him.
This is loving yourself: putting him first, and investing in your relationship with him. God changes you because he loves you. This will allow you to live your best life, loving yourself well.
“To acquire wisdom is to love yourself; people who cherish understanding will prosper.” (Proverbs 19:8, NLT)
Truly loving yourself also requires that you heal from your past and present wounds; forgive others as well as yourself; and let go of resentment, anger and bitterness so that you can receive his love and in response want to give it.
Go to God in prayer daily as often as needed in the day. Give him everything that is bothering or burdening you, in order to walk in freedom to love yourself as he does. Give yourself completely over to him, not letting anything stand in the way.
Pray the scriptures, such as this one in Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV): “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Remind yourself of his love and memorize scriptures that say who you are in Christ. Fixate on that truth to combat the lies of the enemy, and love yourself as he does.
3. Purposes of God: Loving people
Loving people is another great purpose of yours as a Christian, listed in the greatest commandment. When you love God and yourself you will naturally want to love others as he does with his love. Loving people includes laying down your life as Jesus did.
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” (1 John 3:16, NIV)
Laying down your life practically means helping others in radical ways and being self sacrificing of your time, money, etc. Evaluate how you are using your resources that he has given you to bless others more and show them his love. Put others wants and needs above your own—knowing God will take care of you and has blessed you so much already.
You can live this out every day when you focus on Jesus and know he will meet all your needs. You can make a conscious effort to keep your eyes open; to look around and pray for others; to help by donating things you don’t need.
Change your perspective to live a missionary lifestyle, always thinking about giving, helping and loving as Jesus did. Study his life to see how he loved others. He helped the needy, was a listener, shared the gospel in words and deeds.
Pray for opportunities to do this in your everyday life. Serve the church by giving your time and gifts he has given you to others. Think about him.
Finding your purpose in God isn’t hard: it’s in the Bible. His commands are evident there. You are made to first have a relationship with him; he has a plan for your life. Loving him, loving yourself and loving others are 3 of these purposes. When you strive to live them out, they will change your life. You will never feel purposeless.