Let's Start with an Easy Question...

You gotta respect anything that starts by answering the "meaning of life" question.  Whether you agree or not is something else, but there's an admirable quality to chutzpah, isn't there?

The famous first question and answer of the Westminster Shorter Catechism swings for the fences by answering The Biggest Question Of Them All: "What is the chief end of man?"  Or, put into more modern terms, "What the heck is the point?!"

Answer: "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and enjoy him forever."  And there's a lot packed into this answer.

First, it assumes that there is a "chief end" at all--that there is a purpose for us at all.  This idea in itself is rather bracing, since most of us walking around today assume--with or without much reflection--that the point of it all is to be happy and comfortable.  Others of us aren't sure there really is a point to life, other than what we can cobble together for ourselves.

It's important to know the purpose of something to know how to use it well, as you will discover if you think a lawnmower is designed for giving quick haircuts.  If there is indeed a purpose for human life, then our lives will flourish when we are living in line with that purpose.

The catechism boldly suggests that the purpose for human life lies outside of human life: it is to glorify and enjoy God.  What does that mean?

To glorify God is not to make him more glorious than we was before, but rather to reflect his character--his love, justice, truth, and beauty--in the world by our lives.  And isn't it wonderful that the other part of this purpose is joy?  The point of human life to be joyful in God.  As John Piper has famously argued in his book Desiring God, there are really not two different purposes but two sides of the same thing: when we glorify God we experience joy, and we experience our deepest joy in glorifying God.  After all, it's the "chief end" of man, not the "chief ends" of man.

So the catechism begins by putting the bottom line up front.  The point of our lives, and the joy in our lives, is found in living for and to the glory of God. 

What questions emerge for you?  How does this work itself out in daily life?  Feel free to continue the conversation by commenting below...