Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. (2 Corinthians 5:9)

What’s Your Aim In Life?

Everyone has an aim in life. A man who desires to do nothing with his life has defined his purpose for living. Those who seek to attain great things in life will set their goals to reach the pinnacles of success by constantly examining what they aim at. An archer constantly hones his skill to place the arrow in the center of the target through much practice. Professional athletes spend endless hours perfecting their craft to be their best. Scholars spend endless hours seeking higher knowledge to establish their minds on the goals of deeper wisdom. Many people find an occupation to carry them through a lifetime of work so they can retire comfortably. Setting goals is as old as the world.

What separates all men is what they seek for in life, what the aim of life must be. Goals and values are different. Having a purpose in life and being motivated to attain that goal is important. The values and interests of a man’s heart make the man’s personality. History is filled with the stories of ordinary men who championed a cause to change the world. They devoted their lives to the purpose they believed vital to their world. Some men rose to prominence as world leaders. Men of industry changed the world with their tenacious spirit of labor. Those who gained great wealth spent their lives building roads of commerce and financial success. The Hall of Fame is filled with those who had a singular aim in life and achieved great success for the most part.

Humanity’s greatest question is not whether a person has gained success in this life but what a man has done to seek a higher goal in what happens after death. To attain the trappings of this life has value to them, but few men recognize that all that is gained in this life is never taken with the person in death. No one takes their fame to the grave. Their possessions remain in this world for others to divide up the spoil. To conquer the world is to find an empty coffin at the end of life. There is nothing that a man can gain in this life that has any value or purpose. The tragic end of man is when his aim in life is something he can never take with him in death.

Paul wrote the single most important question a man can ask. He asked the eternal question, “What is your aim in life?” The answer is eternal. There is nothing more relevant to man’s eternal nature than seeking to be well-pleasing to God. Nothing else matters. The aim of life is singular. There is an eternal consequence to the question. If the objective of life is not to please God, the result is severe. When the heart has accepted the will of the Lord, seeking in every part of life to please God, the consequences are beyond description. A man can have riches but must use his wealth to please God. There is nothing wrong with becoming a highly accomplished person if life’s purpose is to please God. The first goal in life is to please God, and the rest comes after that.

What is your aim in life as a husband or wife? To please God. When you go to work, what is your aim in life? To please God. Everything we do must be measured by the divine rule of what pleases God. Great success can be found only when life’s aim is to do what pleases God. That knowledge comes from the word of God. How do you respond if someone asks you what the most important thing in life is? To please God. What is your aim in life? How you answer that question will determine answers found in eternity.