Have you ever googled “There are some things that can’t be answered by Google”? Well, I was curious; so I did. Variations of the questions, “Why do we exist?” and “What is the meaning of life?” ranked very high in the search results. These are frequently asked questions that Google is unable to answer. Of course, Google cannot really answer anything; it’s merely a bridge between the person searching and relevant information posted on websites all over the world.
Within the resulting list of sites providing “relevant” information were various visuals featuring church marquees and photos of people meditating. One graphic said, “Always believe in God. Because there are some questions that even Google can’t answer.” I heartily agree with that viewpoint!
I believe this practice of searching for answers online demonstrates a deep, deep hunger among people seeking a more meaningful existence. As expected, the top-ranking questions on Google correlate to the most-often asked questions about life itself. Such questions have been pondered through the ages.
Why Do We Exist?
Finding satisfying answers to these essential questions is foundational to living the fulfilling life God intends. A related question includes “Why are we here?”
In reality, honest questions are healthy because they are simply our requests for more insight. They can prepare us to more fully comprehend and develop better understanding. In fact, the Bible includes many examples of people who asked heartfelt questions of God.
David, a king in Israel from 1018 to 968 B.C. was a man who composed most of the Psalms of the Bible. Although David was an imperfect man, Scripture records he had a heart after God (1 Samuel 13:14). When he thought about the majesty of God, he asked the question:
What is man that You [God] take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him? (Psalms 8:4; 144:3)
Even David, with a heart after God, wondered about God’s nature and voiced his questions. This is encouraging when we find ourselves with questions. We, too, can ask: Who is God and what has He created in mankind that He should have any caring thought for any of us?
In the Beginning—God
In an attempt to answer our questions “Why do we exist?” and “Why are we here?” we need to consider our source of life and ask “Who is God?” To answer this, we must first be willing to admit there is more to life than our natural realm experiences. Only after believing that God and a spirit realm really exist, can we begin to perceive and make any sense of the life we are given.
God is described in Scripture as a supernatural being: eternal, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, and invisible. In other words, God is a Spirit being that is all powerful, perceives all, is always present everywhere, and exists in a spirit realm that has no beginning. God has always existed in the spirit dimension, a realm our natural eye cannot see.
The One who identified Himself as “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14.) apparently has always existed, and as the Eternal One, He always will. His existence in the spirit realm transcends the realm of time and space He created.
Two Realms Sustain Us – Spiritual and Natural
The little we know about the spirit realm where God exists indicates it is far superior to the natural realm. While incredibly hard for us to fathom, there was a time when nothing existed but God alone. There were no galaxies, stars, or planets—not even one. There was just God! Have you ever stopped to consider His awesomeness?
Then, Creator God fashioned the natural realm as a combination of enclosed and measurable spaces within the immeasurable spirit realm. Commonly referred to as time and space, they are primary reference points for mankind that are continually moving and changing. The history of mankind is the record of these time and space adjustments along with our involvement.
We also know something of the existence of God through what has been created because creation is a reflection of God:
The heavens are telling the glory of God; they are a marvelous display of his craftsmanship. Day and night they keep on telling about God. Without a sound or word, silent in the skies, their message reaches out to all the world (Psalm 19:1-4a TLB)
And, beyond the earth, the very first verse of Scripture declares before God created the earth, He created the heavens.
God created the heavens… (Genesis 1:1).
Here the word “heavens” is plural, indicating there is more than one heaven. Visible heavens can be seen with the natural eye when we look into the sky and see planets and solar systems. And there are multiple heavens relating to the unseen spiritual realm occupied by angelic beings (see Deuteronomy 4:19, Revelation 12:7-8, 2 Corinthians 12:2.)
While the angels are spirit beings that occupy the spirit realm, they can also interact with the natural realm. Spoken of in Scripture as ministering spirits that speak for God, angels convey His eternal views as well as temporal insights to mankind.
Father God Prepared for Our Existence
So we can see and accept this progression of creation, and still wonder how humankind fits in. Questions remain about our personal existence. Who are we? Where did we come from? Why do we exist? Mankind has asked these questions for millennia, grasping for answers from various disciplines.
We find additional insight by circling back to God’s statement in Exodus, “I AM WHO I AM.” Notice in particular that He says, “WHO I AM.” God is a who—a person.
Our omnipotent, eternal God is a person! And beyond identifying His essence as a person, Scripture identifies the One who created us as our heavenly Father. If you’ve previously read my writings, it’s likely you’ve been introduced to God’s view of mankind as offspring. God’s desire to be a Father and raise offspring is the original reason we exist.
God’s desire to be a Father and raise offspring is the original reason we exist.
Jesus spoke often of God as his Father and encouraged us to relate to God as our Father. Hopefully, it’s easier for us to relate to this image of God (although I realize negative experiences do exist with earthly fathers). Our heavenly Father’s design of humanity involves birthing offspring who would grow and develop into His image and likeness:
God said, “Let Us make man [mankind] in Our image, according to Our likeness” (Genesis 1:26).
It appears that to facilitate His concept of fathering, God designed the natural time and space universe to be an environment where He could nurture His offspring’s initial birth, progressive growth, and maturing development. We can see that God intentionally prepared the earth for our existence.
Intentionally Created by God
Surely we can’t pin down the nature of God as if He can be analyzed or calibrated. Our life in the limitations of time and space obscures our ability to fully understand God and the spirit realm. We will grapple with questions that cannot be fully answered. That said; Scripture provides ample evidence that God is the source of our life, and we have been intentionally created.
In my book, Created to Relate, I start with the biblical view of creation and connect the dots of Scripture to bring fresh insight and clarity about our beginning and our destiny. You’ll find more details about God’s creative intention for our life than I am able to include in my blog articles. Why not get a copy and join me on this exciting journey? I’d even welcome hearing of any questions you may have along the way.
My article You Are Equipped to Resemble and Reflect God further addresses “Why we exist.” As expressions of our Father, we are intended to reflect and resemble Him. I provide more insight on how we are equipped to do so.
Keith Carroll, Relational Gospel Founder
Resources to help
We share resources about our relational God here on our website. Both of my books, Created to Relate, Insights Into Our Design and Purpose, and The Christ Culture, A Way of Life Like No Other are available for your devotional read, and for purchase in printed or eBooks.
Many folks are finding my books to be insightful and stimulating reads, excellent for personal understanding and to share in small groups. We provide a Leader’s Guide to facilitate discussions.
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