Americans are gradually emerging from Covid hibernation, returning to post-Covid routines and patterns of behavior. As we do, we are coming to terms with how much the crisis has changed us. And it’s not all good.
A recent study by LifeWay Research in Nashville found, “As Americans attempt to move past the life-altering effects of 2020, their perspective is shifting on some of the most significant questions facing humanity.”
And one of those questions strikes at the heart of what it means to be human—why am I here in the first place? Is there more to life than this?
Having a purpose and meaning is fundamental to a healthy and productive life. But in the pandemic we found that we had been taking that for granted more than we should have. Now we wonder, what is this really all about?
“In the midst of such a discouraging season, fewer Americans are convinced there is something more to this life than their daily activities,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “A large majority still lean toward there being an ultimate purpose for a person’s life, but instead of escaping the pandemic with thoughts of something greater, far fewer strongly hold such a view. A growing number of Americans have become open to the idea that this might be as good as it gets. . . .Life has become a more pessimistic pursuit with fewer going all out for something better.”
Is this “as good as it gets”? We are no longer sure. Americans are more hesitant to assume this life has meaning. The orb spins and we are just along for the ride.
Disillusionment fuels that feeling. We are questioning what we thought mattered. The Covid crisis has put our values under the microscope, and we don’t like what we see.
Maybe you find yourself in that condition. You have been rattled, even become cynical, due to the struggles of 2020. Even Christians can wonder, why am I here? And what is my purpose in all this?
A biblical worldview teaches that our meaning and purpose is derived from God’s plans and purposes, not from our circumstances, feelings, or preferences. If you are emerging from the pandemic and waffling a bit on why you are here to begin with, or if what you thought mattered in January 2020 doesn’t seem to be so significant now, the best thing to do is anchor yourself once again in what God says.
Let God define your purpose and meaning. His answers transcend your fears. And the pandemic, for that matter.
So if you are unsettled about what this life is all about, renew yourself in these five biblical purposes:
- You were designed to have a relationship with God.
We were created to have a relationship with our Creator. Apart from that relationship, we focus on our own self-interests, worship the creation instead of the Creator, and always feel inadequate and lost.
So, coming out of the pandemic, renew that relationship. Going to church is good—do that—but remember that church-going is not a substitute for a vibrant relationship with the God who made you to love Him and be loved by Him (Matt. 22:37).
- You were designed to have healthy human relationships.
The cultural upheaval of the past year has divided us all and devastated once healthy relationships. Communities have dug ditches along political party lines. And churches are not much different.
Many Christians thought suspending services and activities was the worst thing that happened to churches during the pandemic. It wasn’t.
Far worse was the inclination of Christians to suspend interaction with other Christians, to drop away from a habit of worship, and to distance themselves from the routines of worship and relationships. Now, fourteen months later, these disconnected believers find themselves more comfortable in the world than in the body of Christ.
The LifeWay study stated, “Among Christians, the more often they attend church, the more likely they are to say they have found a higher purpose and meaning for their life. Half of those who attend less than once a month (51%) say they’ve found such meaning for their life, compared to 69% of those who attend one to three times a month and 76% of those who attend four times a month or more.”
Clearly, as our experience confirms, there is a direct correlation between our connections with other Christians and our perception of having a purpose in this life. As we crawl out of our pandemic hideaways, we will need to intentionally rebuild old relationships and proactively construct new ones.
So be proactive. If you are floundering in your post-pandemic routines, reconnect with other Christians. You were made for that (Matt. 37:39, John 13:34).
- You were designed to serve others.
Serving one another causes us to live outside of our small world and see the world as bigger than our four walls. This directly results from a healthy relationship with God. (Micah 6:8, Matt. 20:26, Gal. 5:13-14).
Intentionally get plugged into serving in your community or through your church’s ministries. Take the struggles you faced during the pandemic and let God use them to help others. You’ll be surprised what He can do through you when you refuse to stay obsessed with your own struggles and determine to help other people (2 Cor. 1:3-5).
- You were designed to contribute to creation.
Humanity was created to manage God’s creation (Gen. 2:15). So we find purpose and satisfaction in having a job and, especially, a job that contributes to creation. Notice, it is not about making money. It is about contributing. So whether it is parenting or tilling the soil or serving in the armed forces, we experience meaning when we are contributing to His world and the well-being of other people (Eccl. 9:10).
And since we were made for this purpose, we experience a lack—a void in our lives—when we are not participating in the upkeep of creation. Maybe you lost your job during the pandemic, and you are still trying to recover financially. Keep job hunting and trust Him to place you in your role as a caretaker of creation. And in the meantime, find something to do, do it well, and do it for Him (Col. 3:17).
- You were designed to live in light of the bigger picture.
The best news revealed in the LifeWay study is that most American believe in heaven or have some expectations of a life after this one. But for the follower of Christ, that is not just a philosophical truism. Eternity reminds us that our life in this time serves a greater purpose. The astonishing reality is that the life you live now will forever impact eternity, and God already knows what He has in store for you to do in His greater plan (Is. 41:10, Col. 3:2, Eph. 2:10).
The pandemic didn’t change God’s greater purposes. But maybe more than ever we need to be reminded that what we do in this life is not, after all, about us.
It’s about Him.
“He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.”
2 Tim. 1:9