Eudaimonia, often translated as happiness or human flourishing

was understood by the ancient Greeks, particularly Aristotle, to be the highest aim and ultimate purpose of life. In many ways, that assumption remains firmly ingrained in Western culture today. From the dominant cultural perspective, “the pursuit of happiness” continues to be treated as life’s primary aim, even seen as the baseline for the American Dream.

Yet happiness cannot sustain the weight of ultimate purpose. Being happy does not equate to contentment.

At its core, happiness is relative and deeply personalized. What constitutes happiness for one individual may be entirely different for another. One person may experience elatement in circumstances that leave another profoundly dissatisfied. Purpose, then, cannot be grounded in such subjectivity. If purpose is to be truly meaningful, it must transcend the self and be oriented toward something objective, enduring, and greater than individual experience. Purpose, by definition, cannot be self-referential.

Further, happiness is fundamentally an emotional state. As such, it is inherently unstable; it is static, present in one moment and absent the next. Emotions fluctuate with changing circumstances, many of which lie beyond human control. To build one’s life upon happiness is to construct upon something transient and fragile, like building a house on sand. Sound familiar? A meaningful life requires a foundation that does not collapse under suffering, disappointment, or loss. It demands a base that is solid rather than shifting, enduring rather than elusive.

Scripture offers precisely such a foundation by locating the purpose of human life not in emotional fulfillment, but in the glory of God. The Apostle Paul articulates this with remarkable simplicity and scope: 'So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God' (1 Corinthians 10:31). He echoes this in Colossians 3:17, telling us that we should do 'everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.' We are to aim to honor God! Purpose, then, is not contingent upon how one feels, nor upon favorable circumstances, but upon a God-centered orientation that encompasses every dimension of life. It is about seeking the Kingdom of God, first (MT 6:33).

To live for the glory of God is to live with divinely inspired direction and a heavenly focused purpose regardless of our emotional state. This does not deny the value of happiness, but it rightly orders it. Happiness becomes a byproduct rather than the goal. Even suffering, within this framework, is not rendered meaningless. As Paul writes elsewhere, believers can even “glory in [their] sufferings” (Romans 5:3), not because suffering is desirable, but because it, too, can be taken up into God’s redemptive purposes. In fact, joy can exist even in the midst of suffering, which is something Christ endured while suffering on the cross.

What a profound comfort it is to know that purpose does not disappear in pain—that life remains meaningful even when happiness is absent. And that joy is birthed when we strive to glorify God in both the highs and lows of life.

Soli Deo Gloria—for the glory of God alone.