“It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. . . . part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.”
Ephesians 1:11-12 (MSG)

To know the purpose for your life, you've got to begin with God. He’s the only one who can tell you what it is.

If I were to hold up an invention you’d never seen before and ask you to tell me its purpose, you would only be able to guess. You wouldn’t know its purpose unless you either talked to the creator or read the owner's manual.

The same is true spiritually. You will never know the purpose of your life until you either talk to God, the Creator who made you, or read the owner's manual, the Bible.

You can try to guess what your purpose is. That’s what philosophy does: “I think my purpose is this; I think my purpose is that.”

Or you could follow culture, which tells you to look within yourself to discover your purpose. I did that once, and I only found a bunch of confusion. Not only that, but it’s irrational to think you can discover your own purpose, because you didn’t make you! Only God can tell you the reason he made you.

The Message paraphrase says, “It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for . . . part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone” (Ephesians 1:11-12).

So, what’s this life all about? The Bible teaches that this is the warm-up act—the dress rehearsal before the real play begins. This is not heaven. That's why there's a lot of sorrow, suffering, and sadness here. Earth is not a perfect place.    

But God has long-range plans for your life, and what you decide about Jesus on this side of eternity will determine where you spend the other side of eternity: with God or without him. Do you want him in your life, or do you not want him in your life? It's your choice.

God actually created you for five purposes: to know and love him, to love others, to grow to spiritual maturity, to serve him by serving others, and to tell others about him.

Over the next two days, we’ll focus on the first and last purposes—knowing God and helping others know him. Your life begins with knowing the God who created you, and your mission includes sharing his love with others. Understanding and living out these purposes will help prepare you for eternity.