“My life doesn’t matter.”
She’d been beaten and bruised, not the kind visible to the passerby but inside where it’s left unattended. The toxic wound stayed festered, scabbed over, and reopened but never fully healed.
The words taunted and played out in her daily life–how she lived, talked, and related to others. This estimation was spoken to her by significant others. She woke up each morning and laid down each night, constantly berated by those four potent but untrue words.
Even a Jesus follower can be haunted by this thought. When we contemplate Earth suspended in space and the billions of people inhabiting this planet, our lives can appear as inconsequential as a grain of sand. If we zoom in, all we may see is the pile of leases or laundry to drudge through and become overwhelmed with the same insignificant feelings.
A quick search in Google of “What’s the meaning of life?” can leave one just as deflated. The majority of the top results listed atheistic debate sites or watered-down lists like: “Do These 7 Things to Make Sure Your Life Matters.”
One atheist launched into a cerebral diatribe circling yet never answering his own question, leaving the reader to conclude in the scheme of the whole universe: “We’re just a dust speck in an infinitely large cosmos.”
Many must believe this for they look for meaning and purpose through influence, beauty, position, and intellectual or athletic prowess. Yet, when the model or celebrity ages, the value decreases. When the athlete’s season ends prematurely so does the accolades and attention. When the business man retires so does the title. Over and over we see this played out.
According to the world, a life is valued by what we do, how well we do it, and its influence. Or it’s devalued by what we don’t do, how poorly we do something, and its insignificance.
When it comes to life-changing questions, though, we cannot reduce the answers to seven succinct points or man’s wisdom. We need to return to the beginning of time and find God’s truth. The book of Genesis reveals the foundational truth we are looking for:
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27 ESV)
God chose us as his crowning creation. We were created by Him and for Him–unique from all the other creatures. When God stepped back and looked at all He had made, He said it was very good. The other days of creation God say it was good. But after he created man, it was deemed “very good.”
If no other person on this planet values you, God does. Even among the billions of people on this orb we call Earth, God sees you and values you.
If the Creator of the universe values you, what more value could be added? What greater measure of meaning could we need or desire?
But it doesn’t stop here.
God created us for purpose. Rick Warren wrote in his book, The Purpose Driven Life:
“Without God, life has no purpose, and without purpose, life has no meaning. Without meaning, life has no significance or hope.”
When we come to a relationship with God through Jesus, we can begin to enjoy Him and delight in our relationship with Him. As that relationship grows and flourishes, joy pervades the soul:
“…you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” (Psalm 16:11 NIV)
It is in this relationship where purpose is found. We no longer do things so we matter, but rather we live and work out of this relationship because we matter to God.
To this dear woman who believes her life does not matter and that’s all she’s ever heard, know that your life does have worth and purpose because God made you and for no other reason.
The same is true for you and me.