What then gives life meaning, or what is the meaning of life to you?
It reminds me of my time back in college, when I had majored in science and read vigorously so that I could improve my grades. I wasn’t good academically, but I at least hoped that college—being my last chance at making it academically—was where I would restore all the years I had wasted in high school.
I remember altering my school timetable from at least two hours of daily reading to about six hours. This was not inclusive of the time the tutor spent teaching.
I had a dream: to become an engineer, at least. Later on, obviously.
Many among us have different aspirations, dreams, and fantasies. However, there are those who have actually achieved the life they once only dreamt of—be it that six-figure salary, that house with zero mortgage balance, or the best-looking partner.
Back then, you may have only had it as an idea, but it’s now right before your face, yet you do not feel any different. The fantasies, the hype, and the gratefulness have faded. What once felt like a treasure now feels like a packet of snacks. You have it all—the dream you once only fantasised about—but nothing feels different.
Maybe you thought that reaching this threshold of success would give you a sense of fulfilment, meaning, or happiness. However, it’s the opposite. Sometimes you even feel much emptier than you were before making it.
You have tried distracting yourself with more alcohol, perhaps, or indulgence in all sorts of vices and behaviours—all to hide from this sad and empty reality. But it all just seems to be sinking you deeper. What was once a dream now seems like a curse!
It may not be you, but perhaps you are in this state of worthlessness, meaninglessness, emptiness, or depression. You are wondering what more to turn to in order to rejuvenate your soul and become a happier and more meaningful person. You are not alone. As a matter of fact, there are many just like you out there who have looked for all sorts of big money to make themselves feel better, fulfilled, or worthy. But how far has that gotten them? Hasn’t it only made the gap within deeper?
I was like you—perhaps not exactly—but my urge to read more and study harder, even though I wanted to be academically excellent, was to make my life worthy and to fill the void within myself. Being recognised as someone important seemed like a good enough threshold to ascribe meaning. However, even after I finished college with good grades, a lot of things outside me changed (my external life), but the inside remained more or less the same—if not emptier.
It was a while later that I stumbled upon a bunch of people who led me to Christ. Then I saw a dim light within me, from afar—like a candle left on a bench outside on a windy winter evening.
I was scared, lost, and frightened, but I leaped towards that light until I discovered Christ. He made the difference. That small light became a powerhouse that enlightened my whole being, this time from the inside out. And so can it for you.
As David put it in Psalms 127:1-2 NKJV:
Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early,
To sit up late,
To eat the bread of sorrows;
For so He gives His beloved sleep.
As you can see, so it is with life without God in it. How many have searched for more money to feel better? How many people work harder and put in more hours, hoping this is their purpose? Is it really? What is more empty than these riches, human achievements, and earthly things? Our life is like an open-ended pipe. Where will you find something that really fills the void within, in this world of ours?
Only He who is omnipresent, immortal, everlasting, and loving can fill the gap within. As Jesus put it in John 7:37 NKJV:
“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.”
This was the promise God gave to us, to you, and to all those who believe in Him. God is our maker, finisher, and judge. Since you came from Him, He is your manufacturer.
Why Does God Hold Your Meaning?
We buy products online, from shops, on the roadside, or from middlemen. However, most innovative products like computer screens, phones, and laptops come with extra accessories—some we don’t even know the purpose of. It’s not until you open the manual or guide inside that you know how to assemble the gadget properly or how to use a specific accessory. This manual is definitely put in by the manufacturer. He is the one who knows every single use of every accessory he included in your package, even though you don’t. He shows you through the manual guide.
In the same light, your life isn’t yours. It has a source—a manufacturer, a giver—from whom it came. Who is that?
In the same way, He placed purpose within you innately but did not give you the manual. He retained it. The only way for you to realise the meaning of the features within your life—your “gadget”—is by going back to the manufacturer and asking Him for your manual, your purpose, and your meaning.
And He will give it to you freely. You shall look outside no more, because all you want will be within.You are feeling empty and meaningless because, despite having gone far in life and having achieved success (or not), you still feel nothing. That’s because you are not doing your actual job—your purpose, your function on this planet.
You can only fill this meaninglessness by going back to God. He will fill you up, and you shall want no more of the emptiness of this world.
