The Meaning of Life

Thanks to the Torrey Institute, what I'm learning from them, a debate with certain friends, J.I. Packer's book "God's Plans for You," and conversations with a very wise teacher, I've been doing a lot of thinking about the glory of God. After reading Genesis-Joshua + Hebrews, I started wondering what the whole point of all the covenants was about. Why were these such a big deal and why does God want us to obey so much? Some of my friends argued that it was because God loves us and wants us to love Him back, through obedience. They said that there was something about love in itself that was all-encompassing and needed nothing else. They reminded me that God is a God of love; He is love. But I wasn't so sure that the answer was just love... I felt that there was something more, a reason for the love. It seemed to me that God desires obedience and our wholehearted service so much because He wants to be ultimately glorified.

We debated for quite awhile and I thought both sides had good arguments. In fact, I had trouble sticking strongly with my side because the other brought up so many good points. After all, they reminded me, didn’t God create man for a relationship with Him that involves real LOVE?

Anyway, I've been coming to the conclusion that God really does want to be glorified. His glorification is the main point of life - of our existence. So... meaning of life is all about giving glory to God. He wants us to obey so that we will point back to God through that obedience. That's the whole point of the covenants. It's all about glorifying Him... and it isn't wrong for Him to want/desire that glory. It only seems wrong to us that He wants all glory because we know it is wrong for us to want that... it would be considered pride (the complete anti-God state of mind). But pride is only wrong because all glory is to be directed to God; taking it for ourselves, then, is a form of plagiarism... against God!

I do, however, think love plays a major part in God's glorification... that's why Jesus declares that the greatest commandment is to "LOVE the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37). In order for humans to glorify God, we must love Him. How do we glorify God? Man can glorify God through obedience to His decrees, praising Him, bringing every thought captive to Him… and these are only by choice. We can’t choose to do these things unless we LOVE Him with ALL of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Glorifying God, therefore, is at the heart of the 1st commandment. Loving Him is the actual outworking (the human activity) of glorifying Him. So really, neither side (me nor my friends) was wrong; love and glory coincide, stressing upon us the need to love Him, and placing upon Him the ultimate glory that He deserves. That, my friends, is the meaning of life.