Man’s Chief End

Do you ever wonder what the main goal of your life should be? If you are a christian,

then the answer should be easy, but in the sinfulness of our human nature, we sometimes forget.

Our main goal in life is to seek to bring glory to God through everything we do. Psalm 16:11 says,

“You have made known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your

right hand are pleasures forevermore.

” This means that God is showing us the right way to go-

the path of life- and that when we obey Him and stay beside Him, it will bring us joy in doing so.

Answer one of the Shorter Westminster Catechism says,

“Man’s chief end is to glorify

God and enjoy him forever.

” Before we go any further, here is an explanation of what the

Westminster Shorter Catechism is so nobody gets confused- it was written in the 1600s by the

Westminster Assembly, who were a group of men commissioned to reform the Church of

England. They wrote the shorter catechism during the English Civil War, and it was meant to

help teach children and members of the church about Christianity amid a time of debating over

faith and doctrine. That being said, a catechism is by no means supposed to be a replacement for

the Bible, rather, it is a teaching tool, each question and answer fully supported by scripture

references.

Psalm 16:11 is actually one of the scripture references for the featured catechism

question, which provides so much more clarity. When we glorify God, we are doing it joyfully- it

would be impossible to glorify God in a begrudging, negative way. When we are walking with

God, we know that everything is right, and we are able to be truly happy, because we are

enjoying His goodness. When we enjoy God, we bring Him glory.

One thing we should not forget, or else our sinful pride will slide right in and take over, is

that we did nothing to earn God’s love. He chose us merely out of His own good pleasure before

we were even conceived. What an overwhelming thought to know that God chose to bring you

and I into His flock, when we deserved death.

In conclusion, our chief end (main purpose) is to glorify God, and then enjoy Him

forever. God has given us clear instructions for how to live; He has shown us the path of life, and

as we follow it, we take joy in bringing God the glory He deserves.

-Dale