Everyone will eventually contemplate the reason for their existence. "Why am I here?" is a universal question asked by all human beings—regardless of their belief in God. The answer we fall upon for why we are here ultimately speaks to how we view ourselves, the world, and the relationship between the two.
Some hold to the belief that life sprang by an impersonal process of macro-evolution, basically by sheer accident. If all life exists solely by chance, then there would be no ultimate purpose for the human race or any other living thing on this planet. Essentially, the answer to "Why am I here" would be "No reason at all." If this were the case, each of us just live until we die, and that would be the end of the story. It's difficult to find fulfillment and purpose in life when one's existence is mere happenstance.
The Bible tells us quite a different story. Genesis 1 describes how God created the universe, the world, and all living things—including humanity—with specific purposes in mind. Everything in creation works together in very definite ways—even if we don't fully understand all the connections yet. The creatures and plants of the earth, sea, and sky are specifically designed to create an environment that supports life on earth. In the same way, God created each human being with great care, giving each of us a unique purpose for how we will impact His creation (Psalm 139:14).
One of our first "purposes" in life is to restore our relationship with God. Ever since the first humans sinned, humanity has had a real sin problem. Our inherited natural tendencies have created a broken relationship with God (Isaiah 59:2), and we owe God a debt that we can never pay (Romans 3:23). Yet God loves humanity SO MUCH and wants to restore that relationship SO MUCH that He sacrificed His Son's life as payment on our behalf (John 3:16-17). When we accept this gift from Jesus, we are forgiven of our sins and our connection with God is restored.
Once our connection with God is restored, he gives us the Holy Spirit, who helps us begin to hear God more clearly and understand His Word; live in healthier, more edifying ways; and learn the rest of God's plan for our lives over time (John 14:15-17, 26; Galatians 5:22-23). When we serve God and obey His commands, we express our love for our Creator (John 14:15). Having a close relationship with God, the Creator of the Universe, can lead to a more joyful, meaningful existence because we can know that our lives have real purpose, and that God has great plans for our time on earth (Psalm 84:10; Ecclesiastes 12:13).
Ultimately, the Bible describes the purpose of humanity as to glorify God and tell others about how to achieve that first "purpose" of life—restoring their relationship with God (1 Corinthians 10:31; Matthew 28:18-20). Every single person has a purpose laid out for them by God—EVERYONE. (That includes you!)
You are not unloved. You are not an accident. You are not a mistake.
You are loved. You are worthy. You matter. You were designed exactly as you are by the Creator of the universe—and God doesn’t make mistakes (Matthew 5:48; Isaiah 55:8-9).
Once we have a restored relationship with God, our eternal existence is set to be a pretty amazing one (Romans 10:9-13). After death, our souls will enter the spiritual presence of our Creator, and we will exist in the most unimaginably fulfilling existence in paradise for the rest of time and beyond (John 14:2; 1 Corinthians 2:9; Revelation 21:4; Revelation 22:1-5).
"Why am I here?" is a universal question asked by all human beings—regardless of their belief in God. The Bible tells us that God created the universe, the world, and humanity with specific purposes in mind. God created each human being with great care, giving each of us a unique purpose for how we will impact His creation (Psalm 139:14). One of our first "purposes" in life is to restore our relationship with God through Jesus (Romans 3:23; John 3:16-17). Once our connection with God is restored, he gives us the Holy Spirit, who helps us begin to hear God more clearly and understand His Word; live in healthier, more edifying ways; and learn the rest of God's plan for our lives over time (John 14:15-17, 26; Galatians 5:22-23). God has given our lives real purpose, and He has great plans for our time on earth (Psalm 84:10; Ecclesiastes 12:13).
Vivian loves learning, studying the Word of God, and helping others in their walk with Christ. She is dedicated to helping people learn more about Jesus and is ready to help in any way she can. Her favorite things to do are spending time with her family and friends, cooking, drawing, and spending time outside. When she is not writing, you can find her soaking up the sunshine or going on an adventure.
Cat is the web producer and editor of 412teens.org. She is known as 412teens on the 412teens Discord. She loves audiobooks, feeding the people she cares about, and using Christmas lights to illuminate a room. When Catiana is not cooking, gardening, or practicing creativity, she enjoys spending time with her two kids, five socially-awkward cats, and her amazing friend-amily.
