What If the Purpose of Life Isn't Success?
More or less a month ago, a Korean missionary, after completing his expository work in the Gospel of Matthew, planned to shift his writing activity to something more personal. He wants to share with his Filipino co-workers his life experiences, personal stories, and reflections that come to him during morning walks. The first subject that comes to his mind is about man's chief end.
The first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism teaches the essence of the Christian faith in a very concise yet clear manner:
What is the chief end of man?
Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.
This short statement contains both the purpose for which God created mankind and the direction that human life is meant to take. Man does not exist merely to make a living. Nor was he born simply to attain success or honor. The purpose for which God created us is to glorify Him and to enjoy Him forever.
First, what does it mean to glorify God? To glorify God means to acknowledge Him as God, to worship Him, and to reveal His glory through obedience to His Word. It also means to make known to the world, through our lives, what kind of God He is. Jesus said, “Let your light shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16, NASB). Living honestly, forgiving our enemies, serving those in need with love, and trusting God even in times of suffering are all ways of glorifying Him. For example, when people observe a believer acting honestly even when no one is watching in the workplace and ask, “What makes that person different?" God is glorified through such a life. Likewise, when believers rely on God and give thanks rather than complain in the midst of trials, they demonstrate that God’s people are different from the world and bring glory to God.
Another aspect of man’s purpose is “to enjoy God.” Many people understand this phrase as meaning “to please God,” but what the first question of the Shorter Catechism actually teaches is not to please God, but to enjoy God. In other words, it is not about making God pleased through our actions but about loving God Himself and finding joy and satisfaction in Him.
If “pleasing” refers to an action, then “enjoying” means taking God Himself as the object of our delight and satisfaction. There is a vast difference between working hard to make someone pleased and loving that person for who he is and delighting in being with him. Pleasing God involves what we do, but enjoying God means loving Him and finding our joy and satisfaction in Him.
This is similar to the way a young child loves his mother. To a child, his mother is the most precious person in the world. He loves his mother more than beautiful flowers, and he would rather be with her than have expensive toys. If she is out of sight even for a moment, he looks for her, and he is happy simply to be with her. The child loves his mother not because she gives him things, but because she herself is delightful to him. Enjoying God is like that. It is not because of the blessings or gifts that God gives, but because we treasure God Himself above all else and find our satisfaction and joy in Him.
In the Bible, David is a representative example of one who delighted in God. As we read the Psalms, we can easily see how deeply he loved and longed for God. He confessed, “I love You, O LORD, my strength” (Ps. 18:1, NASB). He also sang, “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth” (Ps. 73:25, NASB). Such expressions show that David did not merely rely on God but also found joy and satisfaction in Him.
As the first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism teaches, the purpose of life is entirely centered on God. A life apart from God, no matter how much success or honor it may attain, is a life that has strayed from its true purpose. It is like a clock that cannot keep the correct time and therefore fails to fulfill its proper function as a clock. God is the Creator who made mankind, and man is a being created for God. Therefore, only when a person lives to glorify God and enjoy Him does he truly live as he was created to live—the most genuinely human life possible.