Searching, pondering, gleaning
Contemplating existence, purpose and meaning
The love of Christ is the origin of all
Beckoning to His unconditional call
Turning from ourselves to live unto Him
And no longer living a life unto whim
I am going through the book of 2 Corinthians and have been ruminating over the difference between purpose and meaning as they have come up in my study. They seem like similar words but I think there is a clear distinction and I have been trying to work my head around it. I learned awhile ago that I don't want to use words or say phrases that I don't understand. Many times we pick up certain phrases, they sound good, we repeat them but we don't know their origin or what they mean. For example when making decisions, I use to say, "well, we will just play it by ear". I said that for years until I asked myself, "what does that mean and why am I saying it?". I learned it originates from the musical practice of performing a tune without looking at sheet music, and so that would transpose to handling a situation without a plan or making decisions as things happen, instead of preparing in advance. Now that I know this, I can say it with intelligent confidence!
The words meaning and purpose are often thought to mean the same thing; however, they are very different.
"Meaning" is subjective and arbitrary. It's about what a person values, and their preferences. If your answer to why you are here has anything to do with other than God, then it is a life of meaning. Why? Because your existence came before the thing you are living for. I enjoy sewing and if I were a sewing teacher, I could take my students to fabric shops and show them quality fabrics, I could take them to quaint shops and show them well made garments and doing this would have meaning but it isn't my purpose.
"Purpose" answers, "Why am I here?" In the above example my purpose would be to teach my students to sew. If I don't engage in my purpose then I am missing out and so are my students. Our purpose as believers is our reason for existing! It is found in being conformed to the image of God's Son, Jesus so that we might become what God designed us to be, to accomplish God's will in our life to reveal His glory and to labour with Him in what He's doing in the world and throughout eternity. With purpose, we live unto him, anchored in something beyond ourselves and this world, rooted in someone eternal who will be the source of our lives no matter what happens. When we are saved, there is no need to search for a life of meaning. We can live unto God, who never changes, dies, cuts us off or abandons us. A life unto God is a life where purpose comes first and our existence follows.
Did you catch the "me" in meaning? If all we have is a life of meaning then we can't live unto God and at the end of the day we are living for ourselves. It's easy to confuse meaning with purpose because a life of meaning can be beneficial to others. In the "meaning" mindset a person's existence comes first but a life of purpose starts with a mission that preceeds existence. They have different starting points. One starts with self and the other starts with God. Does this make sense? Understanding the difference between these two words can give us an advantage as we endeavour to share truth with people outside faith of Jesus Christ.
The measure is not whether we are being selfish or sacrificial but the measure is who we are living unto!
And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
2 Cor. 5:15