A life without purpose is a living death. In our time, many are living without direction, and as a result, life can be deeply painful. Depression is rampant where there is no purpose. Life without a mission deteriorates into a search for pleasure and a desire to numb the self with all manner of drugs and distractions. You can tell that for many people in America, life lacks a clear aim because it is so often focused on escaping reality.
Is making money life’s purpose? No. While money is needed to facilitate life in this world, it cannot be the ultimate reason for our existence. Purpose is much more than a paycheck.
What is Purpose? When we speak of purpose, we are talking about the fundamental reason for something's existence. We were not created and brought into this world simply to accumulate wealth. There are primitive societies that do not use money at all, yet their members often live with a clearer sense of purpose and joy than those in wealthy Western nations.
When looking for a purpose, we must look at the long term. How will my actions in this life contribute to the world 100 years from now, or in the eternal world to come? A true purpose is one that has a lasting impact.
Serving others brings more joy than living for oneself. In every area of life, service is the true goal. Marriage is about serving your spouse; work is about serving your employer; and a business is about serving the community.
While many people get married for selfish reasons—to be served by another—or work and start businesses solely to make a profit, these self-serving motives will eventually leave them empty and broken. Life is truly about service: uplifting others and bringing value to their lives.
It is a fundamental shift in thinking that brings true joy. Imagine waking up in the morning and thinking: How can I make the life of someone else better today? How can I contribute to the betterment of humanity? When you achieve the goal of bringing relief and peace to someone else, the joy you feel is worth more than billions of dollars.
Death is certain, but you decide your legacy. What impact do you want to make in this world? How do you want people to remember you? Do you want to be remembered as a selfish individual whom people are relieved to see gone, or as a great loss to humanity because of the positive impact you made?
If you want to truly start enjoying life, begin to focus less on yourself and more on serving others. Focus less on how much money you can make and more on how you can use your blessings for the benefit of others. A self-centered life that demands to be the center of the world is a "living death" that will never find satisfaction. But a life focused on service is a purposeful life.
The Lord has blessed us—not so that we may hoard those blessings, but so that we may use them to be a blessing to others. The purpose of life is service to God and to our fellow man, for it is in service that we find life’s highest joy.
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