Why are we here?

Question
Why are we here?

Answer
This is a good question because it opens the door to understanding our purpose. Since all created things have purpose (even things that we create) it is only natural that we ask about God's purpose for us.

Those that don't believe in God or in the idea that we are the product of his creation, can't pursue this. An alternative world view claims that we are only here by chance, the result of random events evolving over billions and billions of years. As such, there isn't any purpose for our existence.

But the Bible tells a different story. It says that we are here because of God's will. "Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." (Genesis 1:26)

The original stated purpose was to rule over the creatures of the world. Man and animals are not of the same stature. We alone were created in God's image and given a responsibility to superintend what God has made. We exist to do work for God, but not as a burden. This is a privilege of the highest order.

Another stated purpose was to bring God glory. “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” (Revelation 4:11). In Rick Warren's book, "The Purpose Driven Life," the opening sentence lays out this foundation for the reader, "It's not about you." Apart from God's will and power to create, we would not be here. And just as a painting draws attention to the artist or as a statue brings renown to the sculptor, we are in a position to bring glory to God.

God, however, does not need us for his own existence. Unlike human creations, which are often "invented" to improve the quality of life, nothing about our existence improves the reality and sufficiency of God. A.W. Tozer wrote, "The problem of why God created the universe still troubles thinking men; but if we cannot know why, we can at least know that He did not bring His worlds into being to meet some unfulfilled need in Himself, as a man might build a house to shelter him against the winter cold or plant a field of corn to provide him with necessary food."

Somehow, though, God desires to have a relationship with us. He doesn't need us, but he loves us. He is rightly called creator, but he is much more than an inventor. The Bible calls him father and likens us to his children. As a father, he desires to provide us with what we need. "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:11-13)

When we stop to ask about God's will for our lives or guidelines for godly living, the Bible has much more to say, but why we exist at all only has a few answers. We may want to know more about this first of many "why questions," but we should also just be glad that we're here.