The Meaning of LifeSample

The meaning of life: All of us have a need for unconditional love and acceptance

For life to have meaning, we need to know that we are loved. If we do not feel loved by at least one person, we always struggle to find meaning, joy, and hope. We need to have a mother, father, friend, or someone who values us so much that we feel loved and accepted. Being loved makes us feel accepted, and it is not possible to live without some form of acceptance or appreciation from another person.

If we are forced to live a life devoid of love and acceptance, we may suffer from loneliness, rejection, and feelings of worthlessness. People who go through this often withdraw and go on to express rebellion, hatred, and a hardness of heart in many different ways.

The Bible says God is love (1 John 4:8; BSB) and secondly, that God first loved us (1 John 4:19; BSB). How incredible is that! God, the Creator of the whole universe, loves me!

The following truth often helps me when I start to feel life has no meaning. Will you carefully read it? It is more important to know that you are loved than to love. We have someone who loves us—He first loved us. God doesn’t love us because we love Him.

He loves us, and our love is only a reaction to the reality of His love.

Some decades ago, I was sitting in a hotel in Los Angeles on the 19th floor. I was at a conference with some senior spiritual leaders. Suddenly, I started to compare my “little ministry” with what these guys were doing. From one moment to the next, life seemed to have no meaning. I felt like a “small-little-nothing.” But then God said: I love you. I was shocked! But the moment I realised that I am loved unconditionally without having to perform, my perspective on life and about myself immediately changed. The fact that God loves me gives me meaning and direction.

The ultimate purpose of life is to know, worship, and love God forever. Life finds its meaning primarily within the context of a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The starting point for this relationship is the fact that God loved me first.

What is the ultimate proof that God loves us? The fact that Jesus died for us to restore our relationship with God and Himself.