Do we simply cease to exist, dissolving into nothingness? Do we reincarnate into new forms? Or is there something more substantial awaiting us beyond our final breath?

While many worldviews offer speculation about life after death, Christianity provides revelation from the God who created both life and death. Scripture tells us that we don’t have to wonder about our eternal destiny because God has clearly revealed what awaits us.

The question isn’t whether there’s an afterlife, but rather what kind of existence we’ll experience based on our relationship with Jesus Christ during our earthly lives.

Is There Life After Death?

To answer whether there’s life after death, we must first address several foundational questions that determine how we understand human existence and our ultimate destiny.

Does God Exist, and What Kind of God Is He?

If no God exists, death would likely represent our final chapter. But substantial evidence points toward a personal, eternal Creator who designed the universe with purpose and meaning. The space-time theorems, developed by physicists like Arvind Borde, Alan Guth, Stephen Hawking, Roger Penrose, and Alexander Vilenkin, demonstrate that our universe had a beginning and requires a cause that transcends space, time, matter, and energy. This cause must be incredibly powerful, intelligent, and personal to create a universe fine-tuned for life.

The God revealed in Scripture matches this description perfectly. He’s not a distant, impersonal force, but a loving Father who created humans for a relationship with him. Because God is eternal and personal, your life has meaning that extends beyond your biological existence. The same God who spoke the universe into existence also breathed life into humanity, creating us as everlasting beings designed for fellowship with him.

What Does It Mean to Be Human and Made in God’s Image?

Understanding human nature is crucial for grasping what happens after death. We’re not highly evolved animals or merely complex biological machines. The Bible teaches that all humans descend from Adam and Eve, the first two people specially created by God. While we’re biologically classified as Homo sapiens sapiens, we’re fundamentally different from all other creatures because we bear God’s image.

This divine image means we possess spiritual capacity, moral responsibility, and eternal significance. Some suggest we evolved from earlier species, but the evidence in the fossil record and human behavior doesn’t align with that theory. That’s because humans didn’t evolve from animals—we were created not just with bodies but with souls that can commune with our Creator, make moral choices, and exist beyond physical death. This spiritual dimension of human nature is what continues after our bodies stop functioning.

Is There Anything Beyond Our Physical Universe?

Science explores measurable phenomena within space and time, but it doesn’t rule out realities beyond the physical universe. In fact, the space-time theorems prove that whatever caused our universe must exist outside matter, energy, and the cosmic space-time dimensions. This transcendent realm is precisely where the Bible locates God, angels, human souls after physical death, and the eternal destinations of heaven and hell.

Modern physics has revealed that our universe contains mysterious elements like dark matter and dark energy that we can’t directly observe but know must exist through their effects. Similarly, the spiritual realm may not be directly measurable by scientific instruments, yet its reality is seen through human consciousness, moral awareness, and spiritual experiences that go beyond purely physical explanations.

Just the fact that we are conscious is hard to explain if you believe only physical matter exists. How could nonliving matter produce self-aware people who are able to think about their own existence and ponder questions about the origin and history of the universe, life, and what exists beyond the universe and earthly lives? The best answer is that our consciousness comes from a conscious Creator who designed us as spiritual beings living in temporary physical bodies.

Has Anyone Spoken with Authority About Life After Death?

Jesus Christ stands uniquely qualified to address questions about the afterlife. Unlike religious teachers who speculated about postmortem existence, Jesus claimed direct, personal knowledge of eternal realities. He declared, “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man” (John 3:13).

Jesus didn’t merely teach about eternal life; he claimed to be “the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25). His own resurrection from the dead provides the ultimate evidence that death isn’t humanity’s final destination. The apostle Paul noted that over 500 people witnessed Jesus alive after his crucifixion, providing historical testimony that he conquered death.

This historical evidence for Jesus’s resurrection sets Christianity apart from other worldviews about life after death. Rather than philosophical speculation or mystical experiences, we have an empty tomb that was guarded by a cohort of Roman soldiers, documented testimony from eyewitnesses who saw, touched, and spoke with Jesus after his death, and nearly half the population of Jerusalem who became Christians within just a few weeks of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. The willingness of the eyewitnesses to face persecution and martyrdom for their testimony suggests they genuinely believed in what they witnessed.

Common Views About the Afterlife

Throughout history, humans have developed various beliefs about what happens after death. These perspectives range from complete extinction to elaborate systems of reincarnation and spiritual progression. Understanding these different viewpoints helps clarify why the Christian answer to questions about an afterlife offers unique hope and certainty.

Materialistic worldviews, popular in secular academia, argue that consciousness is merely a byproduct of brain activity. When the brain dies, consciousness ceases, and the person simply stops existing. This perspective offers no hope beyond the grave and reduces human existence to temporary arrangements of matter and energy. This conclusion fails to explain why humans universally believe that their lives have purpose and meaning beyond their earthly lives. The Bible offers an explanation. Ecclesiastes 3:11 states that God has written eternity upon the hearts of all people.

Eastern religions often teach reincarnation, suggesting that souls transmigrate through multiple lifetimes, working toward eventual enlightenment or unity with the divine. These systems typically view individual personality as ultimately illusory, with the goal being escape from the cycle of rebirth. Reincarnation also gives people the false hope of second, third, and fourth chances—that if we mess up in this life we will get another chance in the next. Hebrews 9:27 declares that we all are destined to die once and after that to face judgment. The universal fear of judgment after death testifies of the reality of this biblical statement.

Various forms of universalism (the belief that all people will ultimately be saved) propose that everyone eventually reaches the same positive destination, regardless of their earthly beliefs or actions. Some versions suggest that hell, if it exists, is temporary and rehabilitative rather than eternal.

Agnostic positions maintain that we simply cannot know what, if anything, happens after death. This uncertainty leads some people to focus entirely on present existence while avoiding questions about eternal destiny.

In contrast, the Christian view of life after death provides clear, hopeful answers grounded in God’s revelation. According to Scripture, humans continue to exist consciously after physical death, with their eternal destiny determined by their relationship with Jesus Christ during their earthly lives. Believers experience eternal life with God, while those who reject Christ face eternal separation from him.

Unlike reincarnation systems that offer endless cycles without guaranteed resolution, Christianity promises definitive eternal outcomes. And Unlike universalism, it acknowledges the reality of human moral choice and divine justice. Unlike materialism, it affirms the profound dignity and eternal significance of human persons. And unlike agnosticism, it provides confident hope based on God’s trustworthy revelation and Christ’s victory over death. Christianity also puts the ball in our court. We all choose where we spend eternity: with God and his followers or apart from God and his followers.

What Happens When You Die?

The moment of death marks a profound transition, but not an ending. Scripture reveals a detailed sequence of events that unfold when someone dies, providing comfort for believers and urgency for those who haven’t yet trusted Christ.

Physical Death: The Separation of Body and Soul

Physical death occurs when the soul separates from the body. The body begins returning to dust, as God warned Adam would happen after sin entered the world. However, the spiritual part of the person—what Scripture calls the soul or spirit—continues existing. Ecclesiastes 12:7 describes this process: “The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”

This separation explains why death feels so unnatural and tragic. We weren’t originally designed to experience the tearing apart of our body-soul unity. Death entered human experience as a consequence of sin, disrupting the harmony God intended for human existence.

The moment of death is precisely that—a moment. There’s no gradual fading of consciousness or intermediate state of nonexistence. The soul immediately transitions from earthly life to its eternal destination, fully conscious and aware.

For Believers: Presence with Christ

For those who have trusted Jesus Christ as Savior, death means immediate entrance into his presence. Paul described this reality when he wrote about being “away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). The believer’s soul goes directly to heaven, experiencing the joy and peace of being with Christ.

This doesn’t mean Christians receive their final, eternal bodies immediately upon death. Rather, they exist in a temporary but wonderful state, awaiting the future resurrection when their souls will be reunited with glorified, incorruptible, eternal bodies. During this time, they’re conscious, happy, and free from all the pain and sorrow that characterized earthly life.

Jesus promised the repentant thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43), confirming that believers don’t wait for some future judgment to determine their destiny. Their eternal security was settled the moment they trusted Christ, and death simply ushers them into the fulfillment of that promise.

For Unbelievers: Awaiting Judgment

Those who die without trusting Christ face a very different experience. They don’t go immediately to the final hell (the lake of fire), but to a temporary place of conscious torment while awaiting final judgment. Jesus described this in his account of the rich man and Lazarus, where the rich man experienced immediate anguish after death (Luke 16:22–24).

This temporary place of punishment demonstrates God’s justice while preserving the future resurrection and final judgment. Unbelievers remain conscious, aware of their spiritual condition, and unable to change their eternal destiny. The rich man in Jesus’s story could see, think, speak, and feel pain, confirming that death doesn’t bring unconsciousness or a second chance for salvation. As the apostle Paul explained in his New Testament letters, the decisions we make in our earthly lives either result in our becoming captive to Christ’s will or captive to Satan’s will.

The reality of conscious suffering after death underscores the urgency of the gospel message. People cannot make decisions about Christ after they die; their eternal destiny is determined during their earthly lifetimes based on their responses to God’s offer of salvation.

The Future Resurrection and Final Judgment

When Christ returns, all the dead will be raised with eternal bodies. Believers will participate in the “first resurrection,” receiving glorified bodies like Christ’s resurrection body (1 Corinthians 15:42–44). These bodies will be physical yet perfected, capable of existing eternally without decay, pain, injury, or death.

Unbelievers will also be resurrected, but to face final judgment at the great white throne (Revelation 20:11–15). They’ll receive eternal bodies capable of existing forever, but these bodies will experience eternal punishment rather than eternal joy. The lake of fire represents their final destination, where they’ll experience the full weight of God’s justice for their rebellion and rejection of his Son. Those who have sinned much will experience more torment/restraint than those who have sinned less (Hebrews 10:29). Each inhabitant of hell will receive the precise amount of torment/restraint needed to prevent hell from becoming worse than it otherwise is.

This future resurrection explains why the Christian hope extends beyond merely “going to heaven when we die.” We look forward to bodily resurrection and eternal life in perfected physical form, living forever in the new heavens and new earth that God will create.

The New Heavens and New Earth

The ultimate destiny for believers isn’t a disembodied existence in heaven or clouds upon which we play harps, but eternal life in the new heavens and new earth that God will create (Revelation 21–22). This will be a physical realm where resurrected believers live forever with glorified bodies, enjoying perfect fellowship with God and each other.

This new creation will be radically different from our current world. It will be a realm governed by different dimensions and different physics. The present physics and dimensions will no longer be needed since Jesus Christ will have completely eradicated the possibility of evil and sin. Because of the new physics and dimensions, there will be no decay, death, mourning, crying, or pain.

In the new creation, Christ’s human followers will rule with him over everything he created. Paul explains that redeemed humans will be teaching and judging the angels. Unlike the angels, humans directly experience the grace of God and consequently are being prepared for unimaginably rewarding careers in the new creation. As Paul declared in 1 Corinthians 2:9, no one can imagine how great and wonderful human life will be in the new creation.

What Does the Bible Say About Life After Death?

Scripture consistently affirms that human consciousness continues after physical death, providing specific details about what happens that give believers confidence and hope.

Jesus demonstrated this reality through his own teachings and actions. When he told the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43), he confirmed that believers experience immediate, conscious fellowship with him after death. There’s no waiting period or unconscious sleep, but a direct transition into his presence. The sleep that Jesus spoke of in heaven refers to the fact that believers in heaven will be spectators but not participants in ongoing events on Earth (Revelation 6:9-11). This sleep ends when Jesus completes his redemptive work.

The story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31) provides additional insight into postmortem consciousness. Both men remained fully aware after death, with fixed destinies that couldn’t be changed. The rich man could think, speak, remember his earthly life, and feel anguish, while Lazarus experienced comfort and peace. Importantly, no second chances were offered, and the gulf between their destinations was unbridgeable.

Paul’s teaching in 2 Corinthians 5:6–8 further confirms conscious existence after death for believers. He described being “absent from the body” as being “present with the Lord,” indicating immediate transition rather than unconscious waiting. Paul actually preferred death (the next state) to continued earthly life because it meant closer fellowship with Christ (Philippians 1:21–23).

The book of Revelation provides symbolic glimpses of conscious existence after death. In Revelation 6:9–10, martyred believers are seen calling out, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” This passage shows that believers in heaven remain aware of earthly events and eagerly anticipate God’s final justice.

These biblical passages consistently portray life after death as conscious, immediate, and irreversible. There’s no indication of soul sleep, purgatory, or second chances after death. Instead, Scripture presents a clear picture of continued existence in either blessed fellowship with Christ or conscious separation from him, depending on one’s earthly response to the gospel.

The Promise of Life in Jesus

The Christian message about life after death centers on hope rather than fear because of what Jesus Christ accomplished through his death and resurrection. Eternal life isn’t something we earn through good works or religious observance, but a gift freely offered through faith in Christ.

Jesus declared, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25–26). This promise extends to everyone who trusts him as Savior, regardless of their past failures or present circumstances.

The Christian hope extends beyond simply avoiding hell or gaining heaven. Believers look forward to bodily resurrection and eternal life in the new creation, where they’ll experience perfect relationships, meaningful work, and intimate fellowship with God forever. This represents the fulfillment of every human longing for purpose, beauty, love, and significance.

However, this gift must be received during our earthly lives. Scripture warns that “now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2), emphasizing that our eternal destiny is determined before we die. Those who postpone this decision risk facing death without the security that comes from trusting Christ.

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But what makes this question both beautiful and hopeful is that you don’t have to answer it alone. In fact, it’s not even primarily your question to answer. God’s Word provides clear guidance about this question, and the answer is simpler than you might expect.

The short answer? You were created to glorify God and enjoy him forever, and he has prepared specific good works for you to accomplish. Your life has divine purpose, divine design, and divine direction.

You’re not wandering aimlessly through existence, hoping to stumble upon meaning. You were made on purpose, for a purpose, by a God who loves you and has plans for your life.

The Purpose of Life

First, we need to understand the question “Why do I exist?” The Westminster Shorter Catechism poses this foundational question: “What is the chief end of man?” The answer is beautifully simple: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”

This isn’t just theological language, it’s the bedrock truth about human existence. You weren’t created by accident or as the result of random cosmic events. You exist because God wanted you to exist. As Scripture tells us, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).

This echoes Jesus’s own words when he was asked about the greatest commandment: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37–39). Here we see both aspects of our purpose in life: loving God supremely and loving others genuinely.

Research in psychology consistently shows that humans have an intrinsic need for meaning and purpose. Studies demonstrate that people who report having a strong sense of purpose in life show better mental health, greater resilience, and even longer lifespans. This isn’t surprising from a Christian perspective. We were designed by God for a purpose, so naturally we flourish when we’re living according to our design.

Different religions and worldviews offer competing answers to life’s biggest questions—where we came from, why we’re here, and what ultimately gives life meaning. But here’s where the Christian understanding of life’s purpose differs dramatically from secular attempts to create meaning. From the Christian view, without God, any meaning we try to create is ultimately subjective and temporary. As philosopher Thomas Morris notes, we can only endow with meaning those things over which we have requisite control. The problem is that so much of life lies beyond our control.

In contrast, when we understand that our lives derive meaning from God himself, we’re anchored to something objective and eternal. God possesses intrinsic meaning, and we, being made in his image, derive our meaning from him. This transforms everything about how we approach the question of “What should I do with my life?”

What Should I Do With My Life?

You should live the life God has assigned to you, seeking to glorify him and enjoy him in whatever circumstances you find yourself. And you should love God with everything you have and love your neighbor as yourself. You should walk in the good works God has prepared for you, trusting that he will guide you step by step.

Within the question of what to do with your life are other questions that deserve answers. Let’s also take a look at those and what God has to say.

What Is the Point of Life?

The point of life isn’t to accumulate wealth, achieve fame, land your dream job, lead a fulfilling career, or even to be happy all the time. The point of life is to know God and make him known to others.

It’s to reflect his character and participate in his work in the world. This gives every moment of your life, big or small, significance.

God’s design for life is relational. He created us for relationships with himself and with others. When we live according to this design, we experience the deep satisfaction that comes from living as we were meant to live. Even in difficult circumstances, even when life doesn’t go according to our plans, we can find purpose in knowing that we’re part of God’s larger story.

What Can I Do With My Life?

The highest possibility for your life is to be transformed by God’s grace and to become an instrument of his love in the world. You can be part of God’s redemptive work, bringing hope to the hopeless, healing to the broken, and delivering good news to those who need it most.

This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to become a missionary or pastor, though you might. It means that whatever you do, you can do it as a service to God and others. You can be a teacher who shapes young minds, a businessperson who operates with integrity, a parent who raises children to know and love God, or a friend who shows Christ’s love to those around you.

What Do I Do With My Life?

Maybe your life feels messy right now. Maybe you’ve made mistakes, faced unexpected hardships, or find yourself in circumstances you never planned. Here’s the beautiful truth: God can use every part of your story, including the difficult chapters.

The apostle Paul faced imprisonment, persecution, illness, and ultimately death. Yet he wrote, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Philippians 4:11). Paul’s contentment flowed from recognizing that God was with him in every circumstance and God would strengthen him to endure. Paul understood that his circumstances, even the painful ones, were part of God’s assignment for his life.

Your current circumstances, whatever they are, can be the very place where God wants to use you, so look for God’s presence in those circumstances. Don’t wait for perfect conditions to start living purposefully. Start where you are, with what you have, trusting that God can work through your limitations and even your failures.

What Should I Be Doing With My Life?

If you’re feeling lost or stuck, take heart. The very fact that you’re asking this question shows that God has placed eternity in your heart. He’s drawing you toward the purpose for which you were made.

Start by recognizing that your calling isn’t just about your career path or major life decisions. Your calling includes how you treat the cashier at the grocery store, how you respond to frustration, how you use your time and resources, and how you interact with family and friends. God is calling you to love him and love others in every aspect of your life.

You don’t have to figure out your entire life’s purpose all at once. Focus on being faithful in the opportunities God gives you today. As Jesus said, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much” (Luke 16:10).

What to Do In Your Life

Now for the practical steps. If you want to live the life God has assigned to you, here are specific actions you can take.

Read the Bible Regularly

God’s Word is our primary source for understanding his will for our lives. Through Scripture, we learn about God’s character, his values, and his desires for how we should live. Make Bible reading a regular habit. Aim to seek genuine knowledge of God and avoid making the reading a quick checklist item.

Start with the Gospels to understand who Jesus is, then explore the rest of the New Testament to learn how to live as his followers. The Old Testament shows us God’s character and his faithfulness throughout history.

Pray Regularly and Learn to Listen

Prayer isn’t just talking to God; it’s developing a relationship with him. Learn to listen for God’s voice through his Word, through wise counsel, through circumstances, and through the gentle promptings of the Holy Spirit in your heart.

Set aside time each day for prayer, but also learn to pray throughout the day. Ask God for wisdom in decisions, both big and small. Thank him for his blessings. Confess your sins and ask for forgiveness. Pray for others. As you develop this habit, you’ll find yourself becoming more aware of God’s presence and guidance in your life.

Join a Christian Community

God didn’t design us to live the Christian life alone. We need the encouragement, accountability, and support of other believers. Find a local church where the Bible is taught faithfully and where you can both give and receive love and support.

Church attendance isn’t just about what you can get out of it. It’s about using your gifts to serve others and being part of something bigger than yourself. Look for ways to contribute to your church community, whether that’s through formal ministry roles or simply by being a faithful, encouraging presence in the lives of others.

Seek Wise Counsel

Proverbs tells us that “plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” (Proverbs 15:22). When facing major decisions or feeling uncertain about direction, seek guidance from mature Christians who know you well and can offer biblical wisdom.

Don’t just seek advice from people who will tell you what you want to hear. Look for those who will speak truth in love, even when it’s difficult to hear. Consider talking with pastors, mentors, or trusted friends who demonstrate wisdom and spiritual maturity in their own lives.

Take a Spiritual Gifts Inventory

God has given every believer spiritual gifts to be used for building up his church and the advancement of his kingdom. Take time to discover your spiritual gifts through assessment tools, observation of where God seems to use you effectively, and feedback from other believers.

Your spiritual gifts might include teaching, serving, encouraging, giving, leadership, mercy, or many others (Romans 12:6-8). Understanding your gifts can help guide you toward areas where God might want to use you, both in formal ministry and in everyday life.

Ask Yourself Key Questions

Regularly examine your life with these questions: Do my activities, job, and thoughts glorify God? Am I growing closer to God and enjoying him more? Do I love others well? Am I being faithful with the responsibilities God has given me?

These questions aren’t meant to create guilt or anxiety but to help you stay aligned with God’s purposes for your life. When you notice areas where you’re falling short, remember that God’s grace is sufficient and his mercies are new every morning.

Remember Your Salvation

Never forget that you are saved by grace through faith, not by works (Ephesians 2:8–9). Your identity and worth don’t depend on how perfectly you fulfill your calling. You are loved by God not because of what you do but because of who you are in Christ.

At the same time, remember that God has prepared good works for you to do (Ephesians 2:10). You have a definite purpose, designed by God. This should fill you with hope and motivation, not pressure and anxiety.

Conclusion

The question of “What should I do with my life?” is ultimately a question about identity, purpose, and relationship with God. The answer isn’t found in a specific career path or life plan, but in understanding that you were created by God, for God, and with a purpose that extends far beyond your earthly circumstances.

Live the life God has assigned to you, seeking to glorify him and enjoy him in whatever situation you find yourself. Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. Walk in the good works God has prepared for you and trust that he will guide you step by step.

This doesn’t mean life will always be easy or that you’ll always feel certain about every decision. But it does mean that your life has profound meaning and purpose, rooted in the character and love of God himself.

Start where you are and trust that God will guide you as you seek to live for his glory. Your life matters more than you know, and God has wonderful plans for how he wants to use you in his kingdom.

The post What Should I Do With My Life? appeared first on Reasons to Believe.

Questions like “Does life have a meaning?” or “What is our real purpose in life?” can be unsettling and difficult to answer. And while it’s natural to ask such questions, the search for meaning often leads people down frustrating dead ends and away from meaningful lives.

Here’s the good news: life’s meaning doesn’t have to be a mystery and your meaningful life doesn’t have to be elusive. What makes life meaningful doesn’t have to be difficult to discover. God reveals life’s purpose to us right from the start.

According to the Bible, we aren’t accidents or products of chance. We are intentional creations, made by a loving God for a purpose that is both deeply personal and meaningful.

When we ask, “What is the meaning of life?”, the Bible reminds us that our value and inherent meaning is rooted in God’s design. We are made in his image, made to know and love him. Everything we do flows from this truth. Our purpose isn’t about chasing momentary satisfactions—it’s about reflecting God’s goodness, loving others, and living with hope.

This hope isn’t wishful thinking or crossing our fingers that things might work out. The word used throughout the New Testament (elpis in Greek) means a confident expectation—a certainty that rests on God’s promises and his faithfulness. It’s the assurance that God is working in and through our circumstances, even the difficult ones. This understanding of hope is central to discovering life’s meaning, and as we explore this further, it’s worth holding onto this definition: hope as confident expectation, not wishful desire. With this kind of hope, we can face challenges with a settled confidence in who God is and what he has promised.

No matter where you’re starting, this is the foundation for true, ultimate meaning. It’s not something you have to earn or figure out alone but a gift from the One who made you.

Meaning Defined

When we talk about “meaning,” we’re referring to the reason something exists, is done, or has value—the purpose or significance behind it. Science can describe life in great detail, like how our bodies work or why ecosystems thrive, but it can’t answer ultimate questions, such as, Is there meaning to life? Understanding meaning goes beyond data and feelings; it’s about discovering the bigger purpose, which requires a worldview that can answer ultimate questions.

True meaning is much more than happiness or satisfaction. It speaks to a deep purpose that endures over time. While achievements or moments of joy may be fulfilling for a while, they’re temporary and can leave us searching for more.

Real meaning comes from understanding why we’re here, knowing that our lives matter, and recognizing our own significance and value.

Meaning That Lasts

Lasting meaning can’t be invented or sustained by our own achievements or changing circumstances. It must come from outside ourselves—specifically, from the One who created us. God-given meaning doesn’t disappear when circumstances change; it doesn’t crumble under pressure. Instead, it holds firm because it’s rooted in an unchanging, everlasting Creator.

When we ask what is the purpose of life according to the Bible, Scripture makes it clear that meaning starts with God. We are made by him and for him, as Colossians 1:16 tells us. That’s an extraordinary statement meaning you and I aren’t just here by happenstance. Our existence is deliberate and meaningful as part of God’s design. Our lives are not the result of randomness. This truth gives every person inherent value that doesn’t need to be earned or justified.

Let’s consider something: in a world without God, meaning becomes entirely subjective. It’s something we invent and it alters depending on trends, opinions, or situations. That kind of meaning is weak and can disappear the moment life gets hard or changes.

But in a world where God exists, meaning is objective, discoverable, and personal. It comes from God who made us and therefore defines our purpose. It’s rooted in the unchanging truth of God’s love and purpose for each of us.

Does Life Have Meaning?

The answer is yes, life has meaning because God exists. The idea that we’re here for a reason isn’t wishful thinking. It flows from the reality  that a Creator brought everything into being with purpose, beauty, and intention.

Nothing is accidental. Everything points to a Creator who infused creation with order and meaning, and that includes your life.

Your existence isn’t an accident or a random coincidence. You are here because God lovingly made you. The Bible tells us that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) and created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). This means we’re here to reflect his character, to know him, to walk in a relationship with him, and to live lives filled with significance.

Every gift, talent, and God-given passion you have was given to you for a reason. Beyond just surviving or pursuing happiness, your life has a unique and lasting purpose that comes directly from God.

Our Questions Point to a Higher Calling

Have you ever wondered why humans ask the questions, “Why am I here?” or “What’s the meaning of life?” Birds don’t ask their purpose. Fish don’t swim around questioning their value. This isn’t just a matter of brain size or intelligence—there’s something deeper at play.

The fact that we’re drawn to these questions reveals a longing for something greater. It’s evidence we’re more than biological organisms simply reacting to our environment. Unlike animals, we’re spiritual beings created for spiritual union with our Creator (1 Corinthians 6:17). These questions are meant to act like a compass, pointing us toward God and the life he’s calling us to live.

What’s the Meaning of Life?

Since we’re created in the image of God, the meaning of our lives is tied to his design. Being made in his image means we have a unique capacity to mirror his character in qualities like love, creativity, justice, and grace. This distinction sets humanity apart from the rest of creation  and gives us purpose far greater than ourselves.

We’re not random combinations of molecules or mere accidents in an indifferent universe. Instead, our lives are intentional and purposeful because they originate from a Creator who designed us with love and care.

Our Purpose in Knowing, Loving, and Reflecting God

At the core of human meaning is relationship. Our purpose is to know, love, and reflect God. But what does that really look like in our day-to-day lives? To understand this fully, we look to Jesus.

Jesus reveals not only the truth about God but also the truth about us. Through his life and teachings, he shows us key truths that shape how we understand our purpose.

We’re Made for Relationship

Jesus reminds us that we’re more than just physical beings. At our foundation, we’re spiritual souls designed for deep intimacy with God and meaningful relationship with others.

He Affirms Our Worth

Through every action he took and every word he spoke, Jesus assured us of our inherent value, calling us to step into a life that is filled with meaning. Worth is something he says we have—think of an insecure child who thinks they’re worthless, yet the parent knows fully well that this isn’t true. Jesus similarly affirms our value, not because of what we do but because of who we belong to.

He Meets Our Deepest Longings

Every human heart craves hope, significance, and belonging. With Jesus, these are completely satisfied and fulfilled through a life of purpose that transcends what this world offers.

He Restores and Renews

Through him, brokenness is healed. Whether it’s a shattered relationship, a wounded heart, or feeling lost in life, Jesus invites us into new life with restoration and renewal.

He Shows Us What It Means to Live a Meaningful Life

Jesus shows us what it truly means to live a life of meaning. His example of love, sacrifice, and confident hope is an invitation to embrace our identity as children of God.

Living Out Meaning

Meaning is experienced in tangible ways. It’s found when we love others, care for creation, and live in an intimate relationship with God. These actions flow naturally when we understand who we are in him.

When we serve, share unexpected kindness, or show compassion, we’re reflecting God’s character. When we spend time drawing close to him in prayer, worship, or reading Scripture, we’re fulfilling a purpose that is both relational and eternal.

Living this out isn’t about us being perfect but about continually aligning our daily lives with the truth of who God is and who we’re created to be.

Purpose That Sustains

What is our real purpose in life? True purpose goes beyond good times and easy paths. It gives us value, direction, and hope, even when life feels overwhelming.

Dead Ends and Finding Meaning

Many people long for meaning but find themselves stuck in common dead ends—like chasing material success. These roads might seem promising at first, but ultimately, none of them lead to lasting fulfillment.

Sometimes, the biggest block to finding meaning is that we never pause to look for it. Modern life becomes a blur of work, entertainment, and endless to-do lists. Busyness and daily routines can keep our minds distracted, or convince us we don’t have the time. We never pause and ask deeper questions like “What is the true meaning of life?” If we never stop to reflect, we are likely to miss the bigger purpose altogether.

Pursuits That Don’t Satisfy

What often becomes another trap is chasing happiness and temporary pleasures. Many look for meaning in achievements, wealth, relationships, substances (alcohol or drugs), or power. While these things might feel rewarding for a moment, in the end, they leave us wanting more or sick or exhausted or empty. They cannot fill the spiritual void in our hearts or satisfy our longing for true purpose and significance.

The Fragile Modern Trend of Defining Your Own Meaning

Modern culture often tells us to “create your own meaning,” trying to pitch this like the next best tech. While this idea sounds freeing, it isn’t grounded in anything that can hold up when you face suffering, loss, or moments of doubt. Real life isn’t plug-and-play, free of viruses, bad actors, technical glitches, or spilled drinks. A meaning you invent yourself won’t provide lasting hope because it has no ultimate authority. Real meaning must come from something bigger—something unchanging and outside ourselves—the original source code: the Creator.

If you’ve tried any of these paths, or looked closely at the lives of the rich and famous, you may realize the “self-made path” fails when real suffering comes and eventually gets too steep to walk. But here’s the good news: meaning isn’t something we have to chase or create; it’s something God invites us into and delights to give freely.

How Do You Find the Meaning of Life?

If you’ve ever felt stuck wondering, “How do you find the meaning of life?”, here’s the truth: you don’t have to figure it out on your own. True meaning is a gift from God, waiting for you to accept it.

God created you intentionally and loves you deeply. When you turn to him, you’ll find an eternal purpose, a God-given value that’s unshakable, and an assured hope—a confident reliance on his promises—that carries you through life’s hardest moments.

Take the First Step

Finding meaning starts with seeking God. Here’s how you can begin:

• Pause and Pray: Take a moment to talk to God. Share your questions, your struggles, and your hopes. It doesn’t have to be formal or “right”—prayer is the beginning of a conversation where true discovery begins.
• Open the Bible: Scripture is a direct message from God to you, filled with reminders of God’s love and purpose for you. It is his primary way of communicating his heart and purpose. Start with passages like 1 John 4:7–12, Romans 5:8, Ephesians 2:4–6, and John 3:16. Notice what they say about how deeply you’re known and loved.
• Reflect and Listen: After you pray and read, spend time in reflection. Ask God to show you the next step in his purpose for your life, and be open and responsive to what he reveals.

These steps are about a relationship with God, not a perfect performance. As you seek him, you begin to see your life through his eyes, and that’s where the meaning of your life starts to become clear.

The Source of True Meaning and Real Purpose

To summarize, true meaning and real purpose aren’t things we create through achievement, accumulation, or willpower. Rather, they’re gifts from God, already prepared and waiting. The meaning of life starts with his relentless love for us—expressed most clearly in Christ Jesus’s death and resurrection—and the specific design God has woven into each of our lives. We were made intentionally, by him and for him, as his deliberate creation.

This purpose isn’t fragile or fleeting like career success, social approval, or personal ambitions that crumble with circumstances. It grounds our lives in value nothing can take away, gives us direction when we face crossroads, and provides confident hope (not wishful thinking, but assured anticipation) even when illness, loss, or uncertainty surrounds us. Knowing that we are loved unconditionally by our Creator and that he has crafted a unique role for each of us in his redemptive plan, provides clarity about our identity, our worth, and the choices before us and peace that sustains us through every circumstance. Through a daily, growing relationship with God, we discover not only our purpose but also experience the deep joy and fulfillment that comes with living it out.

If you’re asking, “What is the meaning of life?” start by looking to the One who made you. God reveals the answers through his Word; through his Son, Jesus Christ, who showed us what God is like; and through the personal relationship he invites each of us into.

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The Holy Spirit used Dave to transform my walk with Christ. Dave introduced me to other Bible-believing Christians, and he helped me find a church where the pastors and leaders also believed and taught that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God. Just as importantly, Dave encouraged me to share my reasons for faith in Jesus Christ with people beyond the Caltech campus, not just on it.

Dave also somehow persuaded the pastors and leaders of the church we attended to take me on as part of the pastoral team. My specific assignment was to train fellow Christians in how to use the book of nature to bring people to the book of Scripture and into a relationship with Christ. When this outreach endeavor brought more than a hundred people to faith, it was Dave who stepped up to help teach Bible studies for these adults and their children. Later, when a new church was formed from this group, Dave became one of the young congregation’s teaching pastors.

In 1985, as Kathy and I were being challenged by pastors and friends to launch Reasons to Believe (RTB), Dave was the first one I called to ask if he would serve on our board of directors. A decade later, when the ministry needed his executive skills, Dave joined our staff, first as a COO and then later as a part-time scholar. He remained a faithful, valued member of the RTB team until the day of his death. 

I am eternally grateful to God for bringing Dave Rogstad into my life. I will miss him greatly.

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This counsel in the book of Job may seem odd for modern ears, yet in the context of Job’s lengthy dialogue with his philosopher friends, it’s an exhortation to seek wisdom and understanding from their source, the God of all creation. Here, God uses wild land mammals and birds to dispense wisdom and instill spiritual lessons. In this sense, these creatures serve as professors and pastors. Humans would be wise to heed their counsel—especially those who maintain little or no contact with animals in their habitats. 

Rise of the Nones
The “nones” now constitute a modern-day global phenomenon. This group includes atheists, agnostics, deists, theists, and Christians who are unaffiliated with any kind of organized church or religion. Nones as a percentage of the total human population began to rise noticeably starting at the beginning of the industrial revolution. The growth remained slow, however, until the 1970s. Since the 1970s, the growth has been dramatic and steady. In the US the percentage of adult men who identify as nones has risen from 9% in 1975 to 27% in 2018, and of adult women, from 5% to 20%.¹

The rise of the nones in America is seen across all racial and demographic groups. It has impacted all religious categories. As the authors of a study in Sociological Science document, “Even intense religiosity has eroded in the United States in recent decades.”²

Survey data assembled by Duke University sociologist Simon Brauer shows that “the United States fits closely on the same trajectory of religious decline as European countries, suggesting a shared demographic process as opposed to idiosyncratic change.”³ University of Manchester sociologist David Voas provides supporting evidence for this conclusion. He cites the European Social Survey, which reveals that “each generation in every country surveyed is less religious than the last.”⁴ The trends toward increasing religious nonaffiliation extend to nearly all Western nations and societies.⁵   

Causes of the Rise 
As I have pointed out in my book Hidden Treasures in the Book of Job⁶ and in many of my public lectures, there is an unmistakable correlation between the rise of the nones and increasing urbanization. For the first time in humanity’s history, the majority of humans live in large metropolitan cities. In these cities people have little or no intimate contact with the wild mammals and birds referred to in Job 12:7. Thus, they receive little instruction and teaching from these animals. In this sense, they miss out on animals’ educational and even pastoral influence.

Intimate Contact with Wild Mammals and Birds
God wants all of us to have intimate, rewarding contact with the birds and mammals he created. This can be a challenge, as noted, in the twenty-first century. It is so for me, which is why I’m deliberate about making contact. I’ll briefly describe six such encounters with the hope that you’ll seek opportunities to do the same and learn what the animals can teach you. 

I live in one of the largest metropolitan cities in the world. Greater Los Angeles now has a population approaching 19 million. Fortunately, I live on the edge of the Los Angeles Basin. Our house abuts the San Gabriel Mountains, and a half kilometer (third of a mile) from our home I can access several mountain trails. 

I make it a point to go for a run on one of these mountain trails every morning before breakfast. I also make it a point to engage the wildlife I encounter. I don’t just glance at them and run on. I make eye contact in a manner that communicates I am pleased to meet them and enjoy being in their presence. I believe this was Job’s intended message in Job 12:7. How can the beasts teach and the birds tell unless we pay close attention to them and enjoy their presence and instruction?

On one of my morning runs, I saw a large bobcat under a bush with her juvenile kitten. The next day the bobcat and her kitten were waiting for me by the trail. For the next several days I would spend a few seconds with them at the same location on the trail.

To access the trails by our home, I need to run along a road with poles that string electric power lines. One morning a squirrel chattered as I approached and then kept pace with me along the power line as I ran underneath. This practice went on for six months. 

On another day I saw a large bear from a distance jump over a rise. As I came to the rise, I climbed up to see the bear drinking from the stream below. We made eye contact for several seconds while the bear took a brief bath in the stream.

A fourth brush with wildlife occurred on a mountain trail in Colorado, where I rounded a bend to see a 450-pound bear only 30 feet away. I stopped and made eye contact. The bear slowly walked off the trail, sat down under a tree, and continued to stare at me. The bear seemed very calm and continued to sit while I took several photos (see figure 1). 

Figure 1: Bear Sitting Down and Enjoying My Company
Credit: Hugh Ross 

On a fifth encounter I recalled Psalm 104:26, which can be interpreted as referring to whales playing with ships. My wife and I were in a zodiac (an inflatable boat) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence surrounded by dozens of humpback, fin, minke, and beluga whales. We watched as three humpback whales sped toward our zodiac, seemingly intent on ramming us. At the last minute they dove under our boat, sped away on the opposite side, turned around, and sped back to dive under us again (see figure 2).

Figure 2: Humpback Whales Frolicking with Our Zodiac
Credit: Hugh Ross

Genesis 1 classifies birds and mammals as nephesh creatures. The nephesh are animals that God designed to relate to human beings and to serve and please them. These are the animals we can domesticate as pets and as service animals. Even the wild birds and mammals enjoy entertaining humans they take a liking to. My sixth encounter (figure 3) shows a wild wooly marmot in a remote part of British Columbia’s Selkirk Mountains emerging from his rock shelter to entertain me with his dance routine, which lasted three minutes.

Figure 3: Wooly Marmot’s Entertaining Dance Routine
Credit: Hugh Ross 

Spiritual Lessons from Wild Mammals and Birds  
When Job 12:7 referred to the mammals and birds teaching us, it was not referring to biology. The latter chapters in the book of Job make it clear that nature’s professors teach spiritual lessons.

One obvious spiritual lesson that birds and mammals teach us is this: Just as they were created to relate to and serve and please a higher species, namely humans, so also we humans were created to relate to and serve and please a higher Being, namely God. As God wants to meet us, enjoy our presence, and desires a loving relationship with us, he intends that we also should want to meet the birds and mammals he created for us and to enjoy their presence and desire loving relationships with them.

This “created to relate, serve, and please” lesson applies to humans and nephesh animals of all ages. Scientific studies show that it even applies to humans only 1–2 years of age.⁷

Another spiritual lesson we can learn is pastoral. God designed the birds and mammals to teach us about sin. Our sin causes wild birds and mammals to run away and hide from us instead of coming toward us. Likewise, our sin causes us to run away and hide from God rather than come to him for the fellowship and love he wants to bestow upon us.

When we tame wild birds and mammals, we can train them to do things that their untamed relatives are incapable of doing. Likewise, when we allow ourselves to be “tamed” by God and enter into a relationship with him where we accept his forgiveness of our sin and commit to serve and please him as he directs, we discover that our capacities to achieve and perform are greatly enhanced.

Some birds and mammals are more difficult to tame than others, and the same is true of humans. It is especially difficult to tame birds and mammals that have been abused and damaged by sin. Similarly, it is particularly difficult to tame and gain the trust of a human who has been abused and damaged by sin.

I appreciate the way the book of Job ends. God points out to Job and his friends that they have been able to tame all the different kinds of nephesh animals. While goats are easy to tame, the behemoth is very difficult to tame. However, in all cases, it takes a human being, a higher being, to tame a nephesh animal. Likewise, it takes God, the highest Being, to tame a human being. God commended Job because Job came to God for the humility he needed to submit his life to God and to serve and please him. God rebuked Job’s friends for their failure to come to him for the humility they needed. 

How might we encourage the modern-day nones to learn such spiritual lessons? Christianity teaches that God very much desires to do for each one of us what we desperately need and want but what is impossible for us to do on our own—namely, be reconciled to him. May we all take God up on his incredibly generous offer of a restored relationship and show the nones in our lives how to be reconciled to their Creator. 

Endnotes   

1. Jana Riess, “The ‘Nones’ Are Growing—and Growing More Diverse,” Religion News Service, March 24, 2021. The data was taken from the book, Ryan P. Burge, The Nones: Where They Came From, Who They Are, and Where They Are Going (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2021).
2. David Voas and Mark Chaves, “Even Intense Religiosity Is Declining in the United States,” Sociological Science 5 (November 15, 2018): 706, doi:10.15195/v5.a29.
3. Simon Brauer, “The Surprising Predictable Decline of Religion in the United States,” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 57, no. 4 (December 2018): 654, doi:10.1111/jssr.12551.
4. David Voas, “The Rise and Fall of Fuzzy Fidelity in Europe,” European Sociological Review 25, no. 2 (April 2009): 155, doi:10.1093/esr/jcn044.
5. Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme, “Secularization and the Wider Gap in Values and Personal Religiosity between the Religious and Nonreligious,” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 55, no. 4 (December 2016): 717–736, doi:10.1111/jssr.12307.
6. Hugh Ross, Hidden Treasures in the Book of Job (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2011), 167–168.
7. Rachna B. Reddy et al., “Do Children Help Dogs Spontaneously?” CABI Digital Library: Human–Animal Interactions (January 16, 2023), doi:10.1079/hai.2023.0001; Hugh Ross, “Children and Dogs Are Designed to Help One Another,” Today’s New Reason to Believe (blog), Reasons to Believe, February 27, 2023.

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Each chapter in Designed to the Core showcases astounding realities, discovered within the past few years, about the interior features of humanity’s home on all its size scales. Ultimately, my goal is to probe the meaning of what can be seen and measured. At no other time in human history has our knowledge of the heavens and Earth increased at such a rapid rate. In my own discipline of astrophysics, the knowledge base doubles every five years. I’m so grateful to my Creator that he placed me on Earth at the time he did and gave me the mind and technology that he did so that I can discover and understand—to a degree never before possible in human history—the glory of God revealed in the heavens.

Overwhelming Impression of Design
As I searched through the scientific literature in preparation for writing Designed to the Core, I was blown away by the recognition that, at every cosmic size scale, humans exist within an incredibly narrow time window and equally incredibly small space that permits our existence. The fact that all these relatively independent narrow time windows and spatial regions, for the first time in the universe’s history, simultaneously overlap one another defies any conceivable naturalistic explanation and testifies of the great care of the Creator for human beings.

Every astronomer and physicist I’ve engaged, regardless of their worldview, agrees that the universe is exquisitely fine-tuned to make the existence of life, and humans in particular, possible. As agnostic astronomer Paul Davies wrote in his book The Cosmic Blueprint concerning the features of the universe, “The impression of design is overwhelming.”¹ The design Davies refers to is that the presence of intelligent physical observers in the universe (beings capable of measuring astronomical bodies and phenomena) requires that multiple characteristics of the universe fit within certain limited, fine-tuned ranges.

Fine-Tuning and the Fine-Tuner
Fine-tuning requires a shaping source. The greater the degree and pervasiveness of fine-tuning, the more capable must be the fine-tuner. Therefore, pursuing evidence of cosmic fine-tuning for humanity’s benefit has profound personal, philosophical, and theological significance.

If the observed fine-tuned designs prove to be of little or no consequence, then one could surmise that no intentionality or purpose is implied. On the other hand, if the observed fine-tuning is multifaceted and each facet is crucial for making human existence possible, then the fine-tuning source must be more than a mindless, impersonal force or process. The more numerous, specific, and purposeful the fine-tuned requirements, the more the required features reveal about the characteristics and identity of the fine-tuner.

Is Cosmic Fine-Tuning Meaningful?
Not everyone agrees, however, that the observed cosmic fine-tuning is meaningful. Many astronomers and physicists point out that for human observers the sample size of universes is one and always will be one. With a sample size of just one, skeptics argue that one cannot make a statistically significant argument for a personal, intentional fine-tuner. Who is to say that our universe is exceptional?

While the sample size limitation is true for universes, such is not the case for supergalaxy clusters, galaxy clusters, galaxies, stars, planets, moons, and comet belts. In each case, the sample size is in the millions or much greater. The fine-tuning argument for the existence and operation of the God of the Bible becomes far more compelling if one can demonstrate we live in an extraordinarily exceptional region of the cosmic web and that our supergalaxy cluster, galaxy cluster, galaxy group, galaxy, galactic arm, galactic bubble, galactic fluff, planetary system, comet-asteroid belt system, moon, and planet all possess unique, fine-tuned characteristics that make it possible for humans to exist and thrive.

If on all size scales, from the largest cosmic structures to the tiniest, one sees multiple characteristics that must fit within very limited fine-tuned ranges, then it becomes unreasonable for any rational person to deny that a personal, intelligent, intentional, purposeful Fine-Tuner exists. The argument for such a Fine-Tuner becomes all the more compelling if one can demonstrate that—at all cosmic size scales—the more we discover and learn, the stronger the evidence becomes for the existence and operation of this Fine-Tuner. This latter point parrots a theme in the Psalms and the book of Job: the more we learn about nature, the more evidence we will uncover for the supernatural handiwork of God.

Sharing the Excitement of Discovery
My wife, Kathy, will tell you I was on cloud nine doing the research for Designed to the Core. I couldn’t help but share with her my excitement and thrill at what I was reading in the latest scientific literature. The scientists writing the papers typically were silent about the philosophical implications of their discoveries. I couldn’t keep quiet. I had to write about it.

Everyone who has read the book so far has had the same experience I had in writing it. They were blown away by the astounding philosophical implications of the discoveries. My desire is that you, too, will learn of the exacting care that our loving Creator has taken to design a cosmos in such intelligent, exquisite detail. I also hope that your excitement will fuel discussions with others about their purpose in God’s grand cosmic design. 

Endnote

1. Paul Davies, The Cosmic Blueprint (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1988), 203.

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Given that Peterson never claims to be Christian in any of his writings, this article is not meant to question his integrity or sincerity in any way. While I disagree with Peterson’s views on fundamental reality, I also believe that his emphasis on the importance of freedom of speech for a just society and his willingness to foster civil conversations on contentious issues in the public square are much needed.

How Peterson Left Christianity and Found Jung

In an earlier book, Maps of Meaning,¹ Peterson describes being catechized at church when he was young. Peterson had questions, but the person leading catechism had no decent answers and appeared not to have even considered his questions. As a result, Peterson rejected Christianity as scientifically and rationally untenable wishful thinking, believing it was at odds with Darwinian theory. His family was agnostic and no one in his community seemed to care that he left the faith.

In college, Peterson went through a period of soul-searching in which he recognized his own capacity for violence and began to have terrible dreams. He came home drunk one night after a party and painted a sacrilegious picture. This experience disturbed Peterson. He could not make sense of the darkness inside himself.²

Then he began to read Carl Jung, founder of analytical psychology, and felt he had finally found someone who offered a possible explanation for his dark dreams. This quote from Jung particularly struck Peterson: “It must be admitted that the archetypal contents of the collective unconscious can often assume grotesque and horrible forms in dreams and fantasies, so that even the most hard-boiled rationalist is not immune from shattering nightmares and haunting fears.”³ That’s a fancy way of saying that our thoughts and dreams are impacted by the collective experiences of our ancestors whose genes we share and whose stories we tell.

What Peterson Learned from Jung: Order and Chaos

While Peterson felt that Jung’s theory of archetypes was oversimplified and, in certain aspects, untenable, he resonated deeply with its underlying assumptions. That is, mythology and religion are invaluable resources for understanding the human psyche and universal archetypes can help us understand how the human mind has evolved to mediate order and chaos in nature. Peterson concluded that there are three fundamental archetypes: (1) unexplored territory or chaos, (2) explored territory or order, and (3) mediation between chaos and order. It is the job of the story’s hero or savior, according to Peterson, to navigate between chaos and order.

Peterson believes that this theme of order and chaos reappears across cultures, religions, and historical epochs and is the fundamental lens through which we can make sense of our lives. It can be found in the Taoist juxtaposition of yin and yang, the Christian depiction of Jesus as the narrow gate, the role of Harry Potter as seeker in the fantasy sport Quidditch, the role of Osiris in Egyptian mythology, and the role of Marduk in the Enuma Elish, not to mention Pinocchio and Sleeping Beauty. Human stories and myths, according to Peterson, warn us to maintain an order stable enough to provide security, yet flexible enough to change whenever it is necessary to mediate the unexpected or novel (chaos).

And what did Peterson conclude this theme of order and chaos means for us as individuals? It means that even if we no longer believe in a deity that exists outside of nature, we can still have a sense of purpose and meaning by being the hero who navigates order and chaos in our own lives, in our families, and in our communities. By being responsible adults who shoulder a meaningful burden and contribute to society—making sure to clean our own rooms and lives first—we can find purpose in a tragic, unpredictable, and often violent world.

Peterson, Jesus, and the Bible

When Peterson uses Scripture or talks about Jesus, he does so not because he believes Jesus is God or that Scripture is God-breathed, but rather to illustrate his meta-myth of chaos and order to a Western audience heavily influenced by the Bible. Jesus, in Peterson’s teachings, is not the risen Lord who gives literal never-ending life through his death and resurrection. Rather, Jesus is one of many mythical heroes who show us the way to navigate chaos and order. Some Christians believe that Peterson is slowly moving toward a more Judeo-Christian worldview. However, in reading Peterson’s most recent book, Beyond Order (2021), I see little difference between the views he expressed in Maps of Meaning (1999) and the positions he communicates today. The following quote from Beyond Order illustrates his approach to both Jesus and Scripture.

The Way is the path of proper Being. It’s the same Way as that referred to by Christ in John 14:6: I am the way, and the truth and the life. The same idea is expressed in Matthew 7:14: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. We eternally inhabit order, surrounded by chaos. We eternally occupy known territory, surrounded by the unknown. We experience meaningful engagement when we mediate appropriately between them. We are adapted, in the deepest Darwinian sense, not to the world of objects, but to the meta-realities of order and chaos, yang and yin. Chaos and order make up the eternal, transcendent environment of the living.⁴

Finding Our Way through the Darkness

Jordan Peterson’s teachings assume that we can best understand our own nature by studying how Darwinian adaptation, via the fight for survival, has shaped the human psyche to navigate chaos and order. This understanding should empower us to face and possibly thrive in a hostile and random world.

In contrast, Christianity teaches that in the beginning the world was created “very good” and that God will wipe away every tear from our eyes when he sets the world right again. The temporary darkness of a death-filled world is the result of humans rejecting God and the only way to conquer that darkness, both in ourselves and the world around us, is through the death and resurrection of Jesus, with God’s Spirit living in us. For Peterson, the world is dark and chaotic and we just have to do our best to make our short time on Earth meaningful. For the Christian, Jesus has already overcome this dark world. Our ultimate purpose is found in a good God who invites us to be with him forever.

Endnotes  

1. Jordan B. Peterson, Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief (New York: Routledge, 1999).

2. Peterson, Maps of Meaning, 12–13.

3. C. G. Jung, Collected Works of C. G. Jung, vol. 12, Psychology and Alchemy (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2014), paragraph 38.

4. Jordan B. Peterson, Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life (New York: Penguin; Portfolio, 2021), 42.

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My answer: During the French Revolution the revolutionaries—in their attempt to de-Christianize society and increase productivity—experimented with a ten-day workweek from 1793–1805. Similarly, during the Soviet era in Russia, the communists experimented with a five- and six-day workweek from 1929–1940. In both cases, there was a notable drop in work productivity and both the French and the Russians reverted back to a seven-day workweek. These experiments demonstrate that we humans are biologically and spiritually designed for a week of six workdays followed by a seventh day where we cease from our work and focus on the most important issues of life. I wrote about and cited these experiments in my book, Navigating Genesis, chapter 9, pages 85–86.     

As for our calendars, it is not possible to prove or disprove that our Monday corresponds to Adam’s Monday or to Job’s Monday. It is not necessary. As Paul explains in Romans 14, what is important is that we humans take one day out of our seven-day week to cease from our work and focus on the most important issues every human being faces, namely the spiritual issues of life.

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My answer: You raise here an excellent piece of evidence for the existence of the God of the Bible. In 2008 I did a debate¹ at the International Skeptics Society Conference at the California Institute of Technology in front of over 700 atheists. The other five atheist scientists who spoke were passionate and intense about the nonexistence of the God of the Bible. The gods of the other religions were ignored. As I engaged dozens of atheists after the debate, I stated that if they were really convinced the God of the Bible didn’t exist, they would treat him like they do the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny. Their passion and intensity, I explained, showed that they really do believe in the God of the Bible but that they do not like him.

Their response was telling: “It’s not that we hate so much the God of the Bible. It’s that we despise his followers.” They all had stories of how they had been wounded by people who called themselves Christians. I replied that it is ironic and irrational that they allow sinful humans to get between them and a morally perfect God. Their second response also was telling, “If Christians understood how much damage they have caused, maybe they would behave differently.”

We Christians do need to behave differently if we want to see more unbelievers receive Christ as their Lord and Savior. We are called to love one another (John 13:35) and to love and bless our enemies (Matthew 5:44).

Endnote

1. We make The Great Debate available in its unabridged, unedited form.

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Existentialism is a school of thought that appeals to both atheists and theists. Wikipedia defines it as “a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on the experience of thinking, feeling, and acting.” Thus, historically, famous philosophers and theologians alike have belonged to this intellectual movement. But who was the very first existential thinker and writer in history?

If you’ve studied modern philosophy you know that existentialism was one of the most influential philosophical theories during the middle of the twentieth century. There are many important names associated with this European philosophical and cultural movement.¹ Nineteenth-century philosopher Søren Kierkegaard is often called the father of existentialism, while Friedrich Nietzsche is considered a critical forerunner. Twentieth-century counterparts Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus are usually identified as key secular existentialist philosophers.

But Christian philosopher James K. A. Smith, author of On the Road with Saint Augustine: A Real-World Spirituality for Restless Hearts, has suggested that St. Augustine (354–430) may have been the world’s first existentialist philosopher.² Not only were Christian thinkers Blaise Pascal and Søren Kierkegaard serious students of Augustine, but secular thinkers such as Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, Martin Heidegger, and Jacques Derrida paid careful attention to Augustine’s writings as well.³

Existentialism as an approach to philosophy has appealed to prominent theists (Karl Barth, Gabriel Marcel, Jacques Maritain, Nikolai Berdyaevu, Martin Buber) and prominent atheists (Simone de Beauvoir, Maurice Merleau-Ponty). Both religious and nonreligious people resonate with its key features, including:

• an emphasis on finding meaning, purpose, and significance in life especially for the individual,
• a focus on why people have inner longings and experience angst and estrangement with life and within themselves,
• a reaction to the overemphasis on the strictly rational areas of life and thus an appreciation for the subjective areas (the arts, imagination, passions, emotion).

Taking these three themes as important aspects of existentialism, it’s easy to see why Augustine would be popular among existential philosophers.

But Gordon Lewis, a Christian and an Augustine scholar, thought it better to describe St. Augustine as having an existential attitude rather than as being an actual existentialist. In Lewis’s mind, Augustine’s Christian views about ontology (the study of being) set him apart from the secular elements that traditionally define existentialism.

Lewis notes:

“Augustine has an existentialist standpoint of human fallenness, an emphasis on the existing individual, and an existential attitude of involvement. . . . Augustine, then, had striking similarities to the existentialist standpoint and attitude, but was not an existentialist in the ordinary use of the word.”⁴

Augustine’s biography Confessions appeals to a wide variety of individuals when it comes to reflecting on life’s meaning. His writing in very personal and subjective terms about his life and thought attracts people and causes them to reflect upon their own lives. Pope Benedict XVI, himself an Augustine scholar, has said that he is more attracted to Augustinianism than Thomism (the school of thought based on the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas).⁵

Augustine, though not formally trained in philosophy, may have been the most influential philosopher ever.⁶ His writings provide a worthwhile avenue for exploration of the human condition that all people can appreciate.

Resources

• Although there are many translations of Confessions available, I recommend these: Confessions, trans. R. S. Pine-Coffin (New York: Penguin, 1961); The Confessions: Saint Augustine of Hippo, ed. David Vincent Meconi, trans. Maria Boulding (San Francisco: Ignatius, 2012); Confessions, 2nd ed., ed. Michael P. Foley, trans. F. J. Sheed (Indianapolis: Hackett, 2006).
• For an introduction to Augustine’s life and key ideas, see chapter three of my book Classic Christian Thinkers: An Introduction.
• For more about St. Augustine and existentialism, see Michial Farmer, “A Primer on Religious Existentialism, Pt. 4: Augustine,” July 6, 2010.
• For an interview with a leading Christian scholar of existentialism, see Paul Pardi, “Interview with C. Stephen Evans: Kierkegaard, Natural Signs and Knowledge of God,” March 4, 2011.

Reflections: Your Turn

Have you read an existential writer? If so, who? Visit Reflections on WordPress to comment with your response.

Endnotes

1. L. Mastin, “Existentialism,” The Basics of Philosophy, accessed July 8, 2021.

2. Church Times, “The 20th Century Was Augustinian,” October 11, 2019.

3. Church Times, “The 20th Century Was Augustinian.”

4. Gordon R. Lewis, “Augustine and Existentialism,” Bulletin of the Evangelical Theological Society (1965), 13–22.

5. Timothy George, “Benedict XVI, the Great Augustinian,” First Things, February 19, 2013.

6. Kenneth Samples, “Contemporary Criticism of Augustine’s Thought, Part 10,” Reflections (blog), September 5, 2012.

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