If you want to be challenged to really clarify what makes life meaningful just go spend some time in a nursing home or with older people whose health generally prohibits them from doing much of anything. I pastor a mostly older congregation and I am constantly interacting with people burdened with a sense of the loss of value of life. They cannot do any of the things they once did, what should make them feel that their lives have any value? One person in an emotional moment put it this way, “Why does the Lord leave us here to suffer? We can’t do anything for him!”

Those who would define the value of life in terms of what we do are stuck when facing the issue of a failing body. Even many Christians fall into this trap. What is our purpose? Some would say spreading the gospel. What makes life meaningful? Fulfilling our purpose. So what are we left with when illness and infirmity and a failing body makes evangelism impossible?

Man’s purpose is not found in any of our outer actions, per se. The meaning of life is that we were created for the glory of God (Isa 43:7). We find true meaning only by glorifying God. We glorify him with our actions when action is possible. We glorify him by trusting in him, resting in him, praying to him whether or not we are capable of doing things for him. The meaning of life for an older person has not been lost by their inability to perform acts of service. They can glorify God even as their bodies fail. The main way to do this, I think, is by being content in him and trusting in him even if your circumstances are such that the world expects you to curse God and die. What a testimony that makes! In the world’s eyes many of these people have absolutely nothing to live for. They should sink into despair and kill themselves! And yet here is this bedridden saint praising God for his mercy! How great indeed must be his mercy if this saint would praise him even when she seems to the world to have nothing to praise him for.

This is love. That God has redeemed every aspect of the lives of his elect. Even our infirmity has purpose. Even that person lying in a nursing home bed barely able to move has a purpose. If your life is not focused on bringing glory to God then what is it focused on? And what other option would you see for man’s purpose? Only this one option gives hope to those who are unable to do active service for God. Glorify God in sickness and health and you have found life’s meaning.