We all want our lives to count for something. We want to make a difference through our careers, our relationships, and our talents.

This is because we were made by God to have a purpose. The very beginning of the Bible tells the story of God making humankind in his image, which means that he placed upon us a special value and the ability to have a relationship with him. He then gave humans a task, a purpose: to care for and oversee the world that he made. After this, God called all that he made, “very good” (Genesis 1:31).

Unfortunately, we soon failed to fulfill the purpose for which we were made. We disobeyed God, ushering in brokenness into the “very good” world that he had made. This distorted our relationships as well as our purpose.

So today, even though we long to make a difference, we’re regularly hindered in doing so. Maybe you experience tension in your closest relationships. Maybe you feel like work and school are more frustrating than rewarding. Maybe you wonder if your life is going to amount to anything. Will people remember you a hundred years from now? Will your life count?

 Through Jesus, our lives have purpose. His life, death, and resurrection brings us back into right relationship with God, which means he can work through us again to accomplish “very good” things. When we believe in Jesus and receive God’s forgiveness, the Bible says, “…we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).

Jesus invites us to spend our lives investing in eternal things. He said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-20a).

Investing in eternity with our lives looks like deepening our relationship with God, enjoying all the gifts that he gives us. It looks like investing in people, fellow bearers of God’s image who are also invited to participate in God’s purpose. It looks like bringing peace and justice to the world, reflecting the peace and justice of God. It looks like telling the world about the good news of Jesus: that everyone can have a new life and new purpose through him.

 Do you want to experience the purpose that God has for you? Do you want to have a relationship with him so that he can made a difference in and through you? If so, or if you want to learn more, click or tap on the get involved button below.