March 17th, 2025
"You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.
You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet:
all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas."
Whether Atheist, Buddhist, Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, New Age, or any other person who holds beliefs about the world, the question of “Why am I here?” and “What is my purpose?” will eventually be asked. Questions of purpose are deeply ingrained in our humanity and what it means to be human. Our purpose gives our lives meaning, a sense of direction of where we are to go, and a guideline for how we are to live.
In our part of the world, the most popular answer we receive from culture regarding our purpose is, “Choose the purpose that brings you the most joy!”. If you decide that purpose is found in the abuse of pleasures like drugs, sex, and money…culture replies, “Great!”. If you choose to make your purpose success, hard work and fame…culture replies, “Perfect.” But are enjoying pleasures all that there is to our lives? Are we here to simply live, be merry, and someday die, becoming dirt in the ground? The Bible replies with a resounding NO! God has placed you here for a particular reason and purpose.
In this Psalm, David outlines more fully the initial purpose God established for humanity in Genesis before sin entered the World. We’re told in Genesis 1:26-28 that God makes humanity in his image so that they can rule over all his creation. As highlighted in the verse for our devotional today, God makes humans a little lower than the angels, forming them from dirt (Genesis 2:7), yet crowning them with glory and honour as image bearers and rulers over his creation.
We can find a fantastic truth in these verses. God’s purpose for humanity was to make them rulers over his creation. Although it is not the case that we are the final authority in this rulership, as God is the final authority (Matt 28:18), it is the case that we are a representational authority to the world for God. As a police officer, he is given authority, not based on the human officer, but by the precinct and government powers backing him; we, too, are given authority by God as his representatives to rule his world well and on his behalf.
As this relates to our lives, our purpose on earth is to care for, sustain, and improve God’s creation by representing God's image well. Living out our purpose can mean taking care of the environment, creating inventions or participating in activities serving others, loving others the way Christ loves us, and defending those in need. Additionally, and most importantly, since sin has entered the world and defaced the image of God in humans, drawing them away from God (Genesis 3), our purpose also involves sharing the gospel to remind others of whose image they were made in (Matthew 28:19-20).
The list can go on about the ways we carry out this purpose, but our purpose in life can be summarized in the words of 1 Peter 2:9
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
Your life’s purpose is to live in a way that cares for God’s world and brings glory to God! Our lives are not our own. You’ve been created to rule God’s world well on his behalf. So, how are you ruling right now?
Challenge This Week
Consider the question, “How are you ruling right now?” and assess if you currently represent God’s kingdom well in how you live and care for creation and others. Brainstorm one thing you can do at school or home to walk out this purpose. (ex. Start a study group at school to help students in a subject you’re good at, take up more responsibilities at home to ease the load on your parents, etc.)