In your pursuit of pleasure, do you ever wonder “what’s my purpose in life?” “Is this all there is?” “Or maybe, even, why should I go on?” Those are some of life’s BIG questions, and you are not alone in asking them.

The Good Life

My friend (and client), John Setser, struggled with the same challenges most people do. While trying to figure out his purpose in life, he believed that:

love equated to good sex. Money bought pleasure and security. And power was worth achieving. The power to choose what I wanted would make me happy. Power could also help me control my circumstances. And power would lead to success with my family, friends, and business.

But that pursuit of pleasure left him feeling empty. And, over time, John discovered how wrong he’d been to cut the Creator out of his thinking. Believing cultural lies cost him years of anxiety as his choices hurt himself, his family, and even his role in society.

The Bigger Picture Sets You Free

John’s memoir, Love. Money. Power. A Believer’s Journey into Reality details his shift away from the pursuit of pleasure to focus on a purpose worth living for. That change in perspective set him free to walk into “the reality of love beyond measure, a currency with lasting value, and power without limits.” And, he’s not the only one. Throughout history others have embared on a similar transformational adventure.

Despite his wisdom, King Solomon also lived according to misplaced values. He sought and attained more love (and sex), wealth, and power than perhaps any other individual in history. In the Bible’s book of Ecclesiastes 2:3-11, he said:

I explored with my mind how to refresh my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely; and how to seize foolishness, until I could see what good there is for the sons of mankind to do under heaven for the few years of their lives. I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself; I made gardens and parks for myself, and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees;  I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves, and I had slaves born at home. I also possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. I also amassed for myself silver and gold, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers, and the pleasures of the sons of mankind: many concubines. 

Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. All that my eyes desired, I did not refuse them. I did not restrain my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor; and this was my reward for all my labor. So I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold, all was futility and striving after wind, and there was no benefit under the sun [emphasis mine].

When the pursuit of pleasure didn’t satisfy Solomon, he asked:

Who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him? (v. 2:25).

A Biblical Worldview

Using God’s Word as a measuring stick for reality leads to soul satisfaction even during difficult circumstances. While in my early twenties I tried to escape life’s pain through the pursuit of pleasure. But that brought such tremendous pain I finally gave up and surrendered my “self” to Jesus Christ. I was done. No more living life on my terms. Romans 12:2 advised me to:

not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Developing a biblical view of the world involved listening to sermons in church, getting involved with other believers, and reading books that increased my understanding. It has engaged my mind in an ongoing process that challenges me to think instead of just running on feelings. And, I’ll continue learning I die. Engaging in a relationship with my Creator makes me want to know Him in His fullness, which to the finite mind is inexhaustible.

Setting aside my pursuit of pleasure to focus on more meaningful ways of living sometimes requires a sacrifice of love, money, and/or power. Yet a biblical view requires me to give up my obsession with self to live a life pleasing to God according to eternal values. That’s a purpose worth living for regardless of the challenges.

Finding Good Role Models

As I read their books, Elisabeth Elliot and Edith Schaeffer taught me how to live according to biblical values. Seeing them apply God’s standards to their own lives encouraged me to apply them to mine. In fact, as a young women I often prayed, “God make me like Edith Schaeffer.” She seemed whole–fascinated by life and loving others. One of my greatest joys was seeing her name on the front cover of Still Moments: Practical Devotions for Today’s Busy Women–that’s the first book I was ever published in.

Real Bible characters have made even more of a difference for me, and they can for you as well. Despite great injustice, in the Old Testament book of Genesis, Joseph shows how to find purpose in life as he trusted and obeyed God. As he made wise choices, God used that injustice for tremendous good–to save his family and a nation.

The book of Daniel reveals how he trusted God and experienced supernatural protection even when thrown to the lions. I & II Samuel tell how David trusted God and experienced His presence in good times and bad. And, he was a man after God’s own heart.

Throughout the New Testament, Paul and his companions stood strong on their convictions while being falsely accused, beaten, and thrown into prison. In an account that changed me:

the crowd joined in an attack against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. (Acts 16:22-24).

While there, instead of living for the pursuit of pleasure, they found their purpose in life by praising God and living according to eternal values.

 Exchanging cultural standards for biblical values

God works out his truths in ways unique to each individual. Though we didn’t know each other at the time, John Setser and I chose to stop rebelling against our Creator. Instead we each decided to rebel against self-destructive lifestyles that focused on the pursuit of pleasure.  By learning to listen for God’s voice, our lives have been filled with one thrilling adventure after another, escapades worth writing about.

To learn more about worldviews, you might check out my friend, Janet Ruth’s, free booklet: Because It Matters: A brief look at what a worldview is, how everyone has one, and why it matters. (See the little black box.) And/or read Love. Money. Power: A Believer’s Journey into Reality.

Changing your view of the world will change your life and give it the significance you’ve been searching for.