Why Are We Here on Earth? True Happiness, Giving Up Control, or the Trap of Worshipping Earthly Things?

In the quest for happiness, it’s very important to know why we are on this earth, right? What’s our life’s purpose? What makes us truly happy, not superficially, but deep down? Is it having a good job, following a big career, having a family, buying a house — following the Default Path?

Two years ago, when I started this article, I spent some quality time with my family, and we asked ChatGPT, “Why are we on this earth?” Its answer (which appears later in the conclusion), the questions, and the fact that I started reading the Bible led me to wonder: is there anything more in life than the obvious?

I learned through hardship that most of what we have, especially in a rich country such as Switzerland, does not make us any happier, but losing someone we love, spending time with someone we appreciate, supporting someone, or seeing a smile from someone on the street does. Why does such a simple act make us happy, yet we all strive for so much more?

I have collected my thoughts, my learning through studying Stoicism, life experiences, going to church, my family and friends, and my life circumstances through reading the Bible and being open-minded, to answer the question of what the meaning of life is for me. What are just distractions versus what are valuable things to learn, and ultimately, finding purpose in this short life we have.

My Background: Stoic, Living Abroad, Non-believer

I’m a Swiss person who grew up Roman Catholic. We prayed to God before bed when I was a kid, but it wasn’t that intentional. It was a routine we had cultivated, and it impacted me to a certain extent, so in times of problems in my early days, or when I had a wish, I asked God to help me.

I remember that when I had a huge exam that was pivotal or important, I asked God to help me pass it, and I also remember saying thank you if I did pass afterward. I was always conscious that I had to do my part, and couldn’t just rely on praying to God.

Much later, when I was in my 20s, I moved abroad to Copenhagen and learned my third language, English. I started to read more. As English opened a whole new world of books, I started to read Stoic philosophy. It’s the Roman wisdom of working with yourself and recognizing that most problems and thoughts come from within us, and that we are in control of them. If we are angry, it’s a choice—we choose to be angry. With more practice of Stoic philosophy, listening to it every day, and practicing, I became calmer and less upset with the world.

It was an interesting time. Much later, I figured out that Stoicism is also religious to a certain extent (with its worldview about how to live). It was my way of meditating, or practicing every day, almost like a daily prayer. Making myself a better person. Later I learned that some Stoic ideas are remarkably similar to biblical verses.

Moving back to Switzerland with a wife who was and is a believer, I got to know more of the Bible and the true meaning of Jesus Christ. I explored the differences between Stoicism vs. Christianity. Plus, I joined my wife and kids at church more often and read the Bible myself (not finished). I found that there are so many insights, wisdom, and just great text in the Bible. And not only that, but it’s also the way it’s written—in a beautifully powerful way.

Have Started to Think More About It

Lately, I have thought more about God and the Bible. With major events happening in my life and my wife being a believer in Christ, I experienced more deeply what it is all about. We went to church together as a whole family, and I really enjoyed the fellowship, the worship through singing, prayers, and supporting each other. Also, the bonding and sharing of hardships together.

This and many more encounters, learning the philosophy of Stoicism, and reading many books with different perspectives made me want to write about this more deeply, mostly for myself: Why are we on this earth? “What are we living for?”

It’s a big question, and the more I thought about it, the only answer could be something higher than us—not materialistic, career growth, or anything that makes us happy only in the short run.

My goal is to explore this topic for non-believers and see what the reasons are for reading the Bible and why being a Christian or believing in Jesus is a net positive thing.

Through my journey, I found many believers along the way—people I wouldn’t have thought were believers in God or had a life-changing moment with him. I wanted to know what’s behind the Bible, what’s the magic that makes people follow and worship God all their lives. I could feel that these people had something special—the way they spoke, the wisdom, their belief that everything will go right. I wanted to know if I too should follow and read. I thought, maybe God and Jesus give us the perspective on how to live?

What to Believe In?

To know why we are on this earth, we need to know what to believe in.

Something that always made me think: As non-believers, we don’t really follow the church or like religion, but the moment someone gets a terminal illness, or if someone is born or dies, the first thing we do is pray and go to church, to baptize our child, or bury them in a cemetery. And who does that? The church, the priest, believers.

We default to the church in times of crisis.

The Modern Days: What Most People Do

Today, more people are lost or burned out. No goal, no purpose in life. Working hard, they have lost the connection with the present or community. We just live. This is OK if everything is going well, but when we have a great misfortune such as when one of our parents dies, or we get sick, or anything else unexpectedly happens, we are in danger of falling out of balance. We start asking ourselves fundamental questions of life.

I believe that if we have children, a spouse, a family to take care of, this answer is easier. We can live for them, for our family. For many, this is also a goal—to have a family. Maybe because of that very reason, to have a life purpose?

When I think back, this is what unconsciously happened to me. But buying a house, working hard, providing for them—this is a blessing. And all I ever wanted. But what if you don’t have a family, or you have marital problems? What if one of your family members gets sick?

That’s when we turn to God. Mostly only in times of desperation. In the very hard times. Because the church, people in the church, are there for everyone. No matter how you look or where you come from. It’s hard to ask for help if everything goes well—we think we can do it ourselves, we think we are in control.

I have experienced that myself. Not through my own experience, but through my family’s. My family has a tough time. Even more so because our family is from different cultures. I’m Swiss, my wife is Filipino. Totally different ways, and her family is far away. If something happens to anyone, we can’t do anything for them, right?

I see it every day, how my wife deals with hardship. And she lets herself be helped by God, Jesus. I see the power he has, and the power of giving up control. Something so hard to do in a country like Switzerland, where everyone has food and is taken care of with hospitals and education.

But it inspires me. Every day. One reason I was open to getting to know God more, and why I’m writing this. Because of seeing his power through my wife.

The Christian Way

So what does it mean to see his power? What if you don’t have anybody you can learn from and watch?

I’d say, first of all, it’s not that easy. Everyone will say don’t go there, or all believers are crazy—they believe in something not real. I was thinking the same.

Once I started to read the Bible, joined the church and met so many Christians, singing with them, worshipping and learning about God, my opinion changed. It needs courage and openness to go out and accept others’ opinions at first, when you don’t believe or have no clue what they mean when they randomly quote Bible verses repeatedly.

But after a while, you feel the power of the verses, the power of what they do to people. And you will understand, no matter whether you believe; there’s something more. Something that is much different from the normal earthly way of living life and believing we are in control.

Why Do People in the Church Believe?

But why did these people in the church start to believe in the first place? I heard many powerful testimonies in the church, and how they found God. There are different reasons—sometimes they grew up with Christian parents, or they had an encounter where Jesus spoke to them in a dream or precious moment.

Although these encounters can be very different, what was almost always the case was that people were at rock bottom. People were in need, had hard lives, experienced very difficult life circumstances I might never experience. Rarely is there someone with the perfect life starting to believe in God.

This made me wonder, why is this, and are God and the Bible only for people in desperate need?

In Life Not Everything Can Be Planned

In life, not everything can be planned. You can live healthily and not smoke your whole life, but still get sick. This is where praying and having faith in something bigger than yourself helps.

Poor people with little money usually grow up as believers. Imagine you struggle every day not knowing if you’ll have food on the table the next day. Unlike richer or well-off people, where everyday food and water are provided. You don’t need anyone but yourself, unless you experience something awful.

A moment with a terminal illness like having cancer. They start to accept prayers, they might even ask for one, maybe they even pray “Oh God help me”, or “help my wife to survive this deadly cancer”. Being out of control makes everyone reconsider. It is when most people start to believe, having faith in something bigger than themselves.

Examine Life’s Purpose through Various Lenses

What to believe? There are a thousand different ways to believe. So let’s have a look at what believing means more broadly, and what I mean when I say believing.

Agnostic vs. Atheist

The differences between believers and non-believers. There are mainly three terms and different beliefs in this world that I’ve learned. The outer borders might be between an atheist and a believer. And everything in between is a version of it.

1. Atheist: Believes there is no God or divine beings, rejecting supernatural explanations of existence.
2. Agnostic: Claims the existence of God(s) is unknown or unknowable, maintaining uncertainty about divine/supernatural claims.
3. Believer: Accepts the existence of God(s) or divine beings, holding faith in supernatural or religious explanations of existence.

These are three concrete types we can work with, but of course, there are many more versions in between. For example, Matthew McConaughey follows or calls his faith “Non-denominational Christianity”. I’d say don’t get too much into the details—try to explore and see what is trustworthy and helpful to you. Whatever works for you, works for you.

If Not in God, Then in Something Else

The question is, if you do not believe in God, in what do you believe then? We can’t believe in science (more on that later), maybe in the universe?

Luckily, there are other forms of living, or practices like Stoicism, Buddhism, or ancient Chinese philosophy we can follow. I followed Stoicism myself, and it helped me tremendously in my life, and still does. Following an old Zen master, or the book of Tao Te Ching, is a form of believing too. It’s believing in the breath, the stillness—it’s just a different belief. We believe that if we follow these texts, we get something in return. Better clarity, less stress, more calm.

In the book of the Tao Te Ching, they talk about: “man earth universe tao”. Everything flows through Tao. Isn’t that the same as believers do with God? Trusting in him and that what we read, the Bible is true.

Everything Comes from the Bible

While learning more about spirituality and other practices, I noticed that much of it comes from, or is inspired by the words of the Bible. Everything is connected to the Bible. When I learned about Stoicism and many My Favorite Quotes (Zitate), I found that they are related to many Bible verses, or have similar sayings.

We want everything we do to give us harmony in life, living in balance, and giving us wisdom. But there is a difference in doing it in faith with God. No book, no written text goes as deep as the Bible. These scriptures have survived longer than any other book, and have been read and studied by the world. There is a reason it is the most read and important book.

It’s the power of the words of the divine. Everyone should probably read the Bible, though it needs time and courage to approach and understand. After a while, it starts to make more sense and you’ll understand more. I felt it deep down when it did for me.

The Bible is the inspiration for so many things that came later, maybe even without the connection to God. But what makes it still strong is this depth, which is otherwise hard to find anywhere else. No connection to your favorite soccer club or favorite materialistic possession will ever give you this.

It’s Not Easy to Believe

Also, believing is hard. Reading the Bible means you commit fully to the story of the New Testament, that Jesus died for us. For a beginner, for me, it’s hard to believe. So is there a middle ground?

Religion is a question of truth. The Bible is either absolute truth, or it is a book of lies. I love how Euwyn Goh says it in his Why I Am a Christian:

limited to what we can know about something we can’t experience.

On the other hand, it’s also hard to explain everything through science. Let’s take the question: Why are we here on Earth? What’s the meaning of life? We can’t. Science can’t even yet explain how we have come to be, or if there are other human beings on other planets. There are so many things that can’t be explained.

So if we can’t believe in science, but also not that Jesus died on the cross for us, what should we believe? Again, this brings me back to my earlier point, that most people only start when there are tough times in life. Also, they are not mutually exclusive—you can read the Bible, pray to God, but still follow the latest scientific breakthroughs.

Critics, Atheists

Of course, there are also many critics of the Bible and that everything is false. It doesn’t make it easier to believe. I am a big opponent of generalized thinking—there’s never only black or white. Richard Dawkins is one of the best known atheists and critics.

Dawkins argues in his book The God Delusion that God’s existence should be treated as a scientific hypothesis like any other, requiring evidence rather than faith alone, and maintains that the burden of proof lies with believers to demonstrate their extraordinary claims. He contends that natural selection provides a superior explanation for apparent design in nature compared to supernatural intervention.

But despite the critics, or even because of them, there’s so much to learn, to grow from.

So What is the Ultimate Task/Purpose in Life?

Back to the question of why we are on this earth. Again, I don’t think it is to buy the next TV on Amazon, or a bigger car, or the newer version of the iPhone. But what else is it then?

Worshipping Something Earthly Is Not Working

For a believer, the ultimate task and purpose in life is clear. It is to serve God. Follow the Bible, be kind to each other and multiply. But what about non-believers?

On the other hand, worshipping something earthly, like money, work, a job, a career, will never give you meaning in life—you can’t be satisfied enough. Sure you get excited every time you get promoted, but it’s short-term. It’s Shallow Happiness. Getting meaning from something that has materialistic value is hard. Something that can just vanish, like time or money, is not worth worshipping.

On top of that, the reward of professional work, or any materialistic worship, is usually just more work. Better career, more money, more work, less time, less happiness. Like in the economy, always growing might not be the best for your happy life.

As Coco Chanel says:

The best things in life are free, the second best things are very expensive.

But what are the best things? While this is different for everyone, and each of us needs to define this, it might even change over time. But for most, these would work: Family, love, relationships.

The second best: A house, phones, cars. Things we might identify ourselves with, or use to brag.

Leave Work as Work

Work, too. Many use it as a status symbol. That’s why worshipping materialistic things will never make one happy in the long run. Once you lose it, you lose your identity, your status.

Many famous or successful artists killed themselves because they were not established in life, or had an identity beyond their fame (Avicii, Elvis, etc.). This can happen when people search for meaning in jobs or material things.

Similarly, as Jim Carrey says “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer”.

In the end, work will always be work.

Separate Happiness from the Job

Separating your happiness from the job, not relating it to time or money, is the best thing you can do.

For comparison, worshipping God or something spiritual is better as you can always worship without expecting. You do it and trust in him. There is no other external expectation other than doing it for a better relationship. That’s why it makes people so happy. We can’t get as disappointed. No missing money increases or expected career promotions.

The thing is, everyone needs to worship something, maybe because there is no reason to be on this earth otherwise? So, if you do not believe in God, many use their career for it, but it will never fulfill, never satisfy. There is always more, a bigger career, more money to get.

With God, on the other hand, there is no expectation. There is nothing to grow other than a better, deeper relationship. If we do, we will feel better, more fulfilled, happier. It’s the total opposite.

If you let go of work as work, you need to find something to replace it. This is when people usually find their true passion, listening genuinely and honestly to themselves and finding their self-worth. Identifying themselves not with a job, but as a person. We are all more than what our job is: we are fathers, we are gardeners. We like to play or sing music, we enjoy nature. There are so many things we are, each of us.

The question is, who are you?

Secular vs. God-Inspired Mindset

Worshipping materialistic pursuits can also be called the secular intuition as opposed to a God-inspired belief. Under a Secular Mindset: “Intuition comes from a vague sense of feeling what moves and excites you. It’s all about you—your wants, needs, passions, and desires, materialistic goods. As society trends towards a secular mindset, it abandons the divinity around us”.

I was, and I am, for a long time, following the secular path, thinking I am in control of everything. But lately, following my Pathless Path, having kids with many things outside of my control, and trusting that everything will be good while seeing and praying in church, is slowly changing that. I want to believe in something bigger, I want to let go of the responsibility, of being in control. I am asking myself, wouldn’t it be much easier to hand off the worries, the responsibilities to someone else? Someone greater than me?

We are so small, and even if we wanted to, we can’t influence all we want. The Stoics manifest that so strongly. We can die any day. We don’t like to think or hear about it, but that’s the truth, and when it happens to someone we love, we’d better be mentally prepared—although you can never be prepared for hardships like this, but maybe for less invasive life circumstances.

A heavenly, God-inspired intuition though is different. Self-gain is replaced by self-sacrifice, in service of a higher purpose. It’s a divinity-led adventure, not a solo endeavor — where you surrender to the wishes of a higher power instead of relentlessly going after your self-driven desires. Coming close to oneself and God through prayers and through reading the most read and influential book, the Bible.

So is the life task to be a God-inspired believer?

Being Happy, the Life’s Task?

Another popular life’s task would be to be happy every day. Something everyone strives for, right? Is it maybe why we are on this earth? But, What Makes a Happy Life anyway?

To me, it’s more of a current state we try to be in rather than a life goal. It can’t be the overarching answer to why we are here. The longest studies on happiness show that the happiest people are the ones that have deep fulfilling relationships. This made me wonder, is this why people who believe, who have an intimate relationship with God, are usually so happy?

If you read the Bible and believe in God, the first and most intimate relationship is with him, God. People who believe are super fond of giving, not receiving—full of joy. Happy people. Also, relationships are free too—they only need time and attention to people around you. You can also value “relations” when you go into a shop, say “hi” and smile at someone on the way to work. These are small things, but they give happiness to others, and most importantly, to us.

A smile is the cheapest and probably easiest way of giving. Free and so easy to give. Studies also show that the less we have, the more we give. And how giving, especially, can make us happy.

Principles for Life, Ten Commandments

Ray Dalio said in his influential book Principles:

Have principles and use them consistently.

Is finding our principles and consistently following them the life’s task and why we are on this earth? Basically the principles and laws for life given by the Bible are the Ten Commandments.

The Ten Commandments written with the finger of God say (among others) to honor your father and mother, don’t commit adultery, don’t kill or steal, and don’t covet. Having a relationship with God, and each other. All of these are guidance and laws of the Bible, that believers follow.

Or following the first commands in the Bible in Genesis 1:28 which says that we need to be fruitful and multiply. For many, the Bible and God give them a higher purpose, a sense of belonging, even in the toughest times of our lives, at any time.

Another way would be to find principles in life that you set for yourself and you can follow. Finding your Values, and following them so everything you do in life would be aligned to these core principles of yours. This is what The Values Factor by Dr. John Demartini, Ray Dalio and many others say. These values should be like a fingerprint; make them specific to you.

Paulo Coelho in The Alchemist says “Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure”. It emphasizes following your dreams and listening to one’s heart, suggesting that true fulfillment is found in pursuing one’s passions. It’s not about a physical location but rather the emotional connection to one’s goals and desires. A verse that comes from the Bible too, more specifically Matthew 6#21.

Following the Ten Commandments or something not made by us might seem like following a doctrine, but is it? Aren’t these just great guidance and moral compasses to have?

The Goal of Life

Let’s explore principles and values a little more. Without principles, deciding on the next big decision in life is quite hard. You do not have a reference to hold yourself to. What should you say yes to, and what not.

Principles can be a way of steering your life ship, a compass, knowing when to say Hell Yeah or No like Derek Sivers likes to say.

These principles helped me focus on what’s important in life, align all I do in life, almost like a compass. Having God on the other side is the higher power we can trust in; with these two together, it will strengthen our lives, especially in cases of hardship, obstacles, losses.

In Stolen Focus by Johann Hari, Johann concluded the biggest distraction is not having a daylight (his way of defining principles). Daylight is the third level of focus. He rates it the following:

1. Spotlight (make a coffee)
2. Starlight (writing a book)
3. Daylight (your guiding light)

Without the daylight, he concludes, we will lose focus and our purpose in life. It can be how to be a good parent, a long-term goal, like the principles, or something you define for yourself. Something that guides you.

For believers, there is the Bible. That’s why when you experience a devastating event, and you lose life a little, get off track, that’s why God and the Bible can refocus you. That’s why non-believers envy believers. Believers have a purpose, goals, and a daylight.

But What to Do When Hardship Hits?

But what do we do in times of hardship? Can principles guide us through them too? I’d say they certainly help, but they can’t explain or overcome the pain. This can only be done by grieving, time and prayers. That’s why many find the lord in times of hardship, not when everything seems to work well.

The older I get, the more I believe it’s not possible with earthly things to justify this life. Even though I’m not a full believer yet, it still makes much more sense to answer this question with Christ or the Bible. See the core reasons why we are on this earth through the Bible:

Your life on Earth is a fleeting moment compared to eternity. Use this time to build treasures in heaven, for ‘where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’ (Matthew 6:21). Love one another as I have loved you (John 13:34), and seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). In doing so, you fulfill the purpose for which you were created”. [Bible verses related to Why we are on Earth]

If you’d replace these verses, or the Ten Commandments, and say it in a more traditional, less religious way, you could translate it to serve the one next to you. Be kind, do the right thing for the right reasons. “Build for heaven” essentially means don’t do it for fame, do it for long-term happiness; for one another.

The Ten Commandments of the Bible are like guidance in life. Like principles, people need constraints. As in things we do in life, and in life itself. Same as an artist who has no constraints has a hard time creating anything. It’s like unblocking yourself. The Bible, the Ten Commandments, are the constraints of life, the law for how to live life before there were any laws in place in this world.

Compass for Society

There are so many things, all from the Bible, I wasn’t aware of before I started to read it myself. But I noticed more and more that many principles for life come from the Bible itself.

It’s like the compass for society. Without that moral compass, everyone would just steal, harm or kill each other. One could say this is just normal or common sense. But where would common sense come from? In a world like now, where greedy men try to take from the poor and give it to the rich, and war is in the news every day, this moral compass is more important than ever.

I was thinking, how can we summarize the power of the people? And when we go back in time, many times it was through community, a religious community, or through a higher power, through God.

It’s no surprise that the fundamental principles are also manifested in our government’s laws. They are not biblical, but if I were to guess, the men who have written these old laws and government “directories” were influenced by something too. Maybe getting their inspiration from the very Bible?

Which is exactly what I do as of now, and it works well.

If these principles are based on human values like love and kindness, and practiced and trained every day, we will have a more fulfilled and happier life. It’s exactly what we do with prayers. Based on the Bible we learn love and kindness for each other, and practice every day through exercising, repetition by reading the Bible every day.

Why Be a Christian?

This leads us to the question “why be a Christian?"—do they know the meaning of life?

Who can tell us? The Bible, Viktor Frankl who survived the worst imaginable event? Marcus Aurelius who was the most powerful man on earth during Roman times, or who else should we trust?

Frankl, a person who survived Hitler’s holocaust in Germany, Nazi concentration camps during World War II. A person who was humiliated in the most possible way, but still, he found meaning in his life. Frankl argues that finding purpose is crucial for survival, even in the most dire circumstances. His way was through creative work, which later was introduced as Logotherapy.

But you are probably asking yourself, can creative work be the reason why we are on this earth?

Interestingly, connected to creative work is being in the Flow. Only being in such a deep state, with your thoughts focused on your art—only people in deep work can feel this—and it’s the driver for many to get up and go to work, or live life.

When creating something, whether art or just a piece of writing, you can forget the surroundings and living in the full present. Living in the present, can make you very happy, which relates to being on this world. But is it why we are on this earth?

What Does the Bible Say?

The Bible has the Ten Commandments, being fruitful and multiply, and a million more motivational quotes and reason to help in any life circumstances. But is that the reason for being a believer, or guiding us through why we are on this earth?

The Beginning of the Bible: Genesis

In the first chapters Genesis in the Old Testament, the story of God creating the world. It says, that God created Adam and Eve. Much in Genesis have been created “out of nothing”. God calls things out and it was created. For example, the light, day, sun, etc., This is called Creatio ex nihilo.

This is one of the hardest part for me and what led me away from religion, or reading more of the Bible. Mostly because it’s hard to believe as the first thing you read. The creating of the earth, and in Genesis 1 it will mention the creation of day and night, then on day two he created the light, and so forth. People are debating if these are fictive days or literal days.

On top, the Bible was written, long long time ago, when there were no laws, and life was brutal and honest. That’s why it reads as a harsh book, because it was back then. Also why people suggest you to start with the books of John or somewhere else in the Bible, as these chapters are much more approachable and less brutal to start with.

Want to Get Started with the Bible? Where to Start?

Instead of starting with the Genesis, usually it’s much better hearing some testimony of someone, or seeing someone living it as I did with my wife. These can give you a starting point and a tangible example of how it can transform someone’s life.

Reading from the beginning, you most certainly cannot connect to the bigger meaning. It’s hard, and on top of that, the Bible is extremely long.

So start browsing through the Bible and try to find a chapter that you like. Remember, each chapter is a book of its own, with a different writer. As a writer and author myself, I found Ecclesiastes 1 to be written excellently (New King James Version (NKJV)). It’s so deep and written so beautifully. To me, it’s more than just writing, it has this moral depth, the feel to it. What comes closest is a poem, with the melody and flow of the text. Check it out if you enjoy well-written book phrases and books.

This feeling can be felt in the church as well, more so when worshipping together (the singing part of the church). The lyrics, the music, all coming together with a group of people, might be one of the most powerful feelings that humans can get as an ensemble. It’s a deep way of appreciating each other, in depth, and kindness with overflowing love. I haven’t experienced this anywhere else.

Psalms are another good start for anyone new. These are beautiful poems that are easy to approach. Or get recommendations from friends and people you admire; people will be happy to share their favorite parts.

If you are more analytical, like myself, start with the The Bible for Dummies by Jeffrey Geoghegan and Michael Homan. They do a great job of explaining the stories behind the science as well, how the Bible survived over the years, when there was no printer or printed text yet. Answering all the questions I had when I started. Find some of the notes in the call-out below.

The Meaning is Different for Everyone

The meaning of life is different for everyone, and it’s impossible to make a unique statement for everyone. But being in a relationship or community is a human’s desire.

And if we lose someone, we are reminded of this fact. We experience it for real, nothing superficial; just that person and life in the present moment count. So maybe being present, and being surrounded by good relationships (friends and family) is the real reason to live for?

Logically, it does not make much sense that we live. Our lifespan is so short, and we are hardly making any difference in the grand scheme of things. As a species altogether, that is a different story. But to answer the question of why we are on this earth, we need to answer it for ourselves alone.

I think there is more than just self-interest too. Something that means doing the right thing, loving one another. Helping each other. Doing the right thing, for the right reasons.

Love is a big one. All things that have value to us, like family and loved ones, are connected with great trust and love.

Gary Chapman in the Five Love Languages said:

Love is not demanded, its given. Love is a choice. You can request that your spouse do something, but never demand. Love is given by choice.

If we take that literally, everything we like is not demanded, but it’s a choice. Isn’t this beautiful? Could that be a reason why we live—for love?

Many Believers (and Testimonies) Everywhere

To me it’s amazing that whenever I follow people and I like their energy, their passion, usually they’re believers, as the energy comes from much deeper than just themselves.

In fact, the more I became aware and interested in spirituality and in the Bible, I noticed believers everywhere. And usually they had a gravity and a magic that I couldn’t explain before. Now I know, it’s the power of a higher power. With less focus on themselves, even though they were famous, they do their craft for a higher good, for everyone, and for God.

The more I knew about the Bible and God, I noticed that I was drawn toward people who do too, unconsciously. I don’t know why. But these tend to be good people, doing the right things for the right reasons. People who want the best for others are inspiring. I want to be like them, too.

Believers and Testimonies

Here are some people I found inspiring all along and then also found that these are believers in God:

• David Perell: A renowned writer. He wrote pieces about religion. He wrote The Book You Need to Read and Why You’re Christian.
• Andrew Huberman: A famous neuroscientist that shares his insight on his podcast and YouTube. He shares his story and faith in God.
• Stephen Curry: Widely regarded as the greatest shooter in NBA history. He has the verse Phil 4#13 written on his sneakers. It says “I can do all things”. He explains why he did that. It’s his purpose and his version of why we are on this earth.
• Tim Tebow: Famous Football player. His frequent comeback victories and outspoken Christian faith made him a cultural phenomenon, with his habit of dropping to one knee in prayer on the field becoming known as “Tebowing”. Source
• Jon Batiste: Exceptional musician of all genres. He shows his faith in the Netflix documentary, read also more on Jon Batiste’s Christian faith isn’t explored in ‘American Symphony’
• Dana Gioia: Exceptional poet. He identifies as Catholic and describes his perspective as a “lifelong Catholic” that affects everything he writes.
• ThePrimeagen: Popular programming and neovim/vim YouTuber and developer who grew up as a functional atheist but found faith at his lowest point when he was ashamed and everything changed. He dialogued with God saying “Jesus, I don’t know if you are real, but if you are please reveal yourself to me” - from that day forward his life progressively took a 180 with a series of defining moments that transformed him into a different person. After his encounter with God, he says he wouldn’t know how to value people without his faith. One verse that had a big impact on him was 1 John 4:19 “We love, because he first loved us” - showing him he didn’t have to live up to impossible standards and that he can feel forgiven and forgive others. Lex Fridman Podcast #461
• TJ DeVries: Renowned developer in the Neovim community who is a Christian.
• Wesley Huff: Christian apologist who appeared on Joe Rogan to discuss Christianity. He eloquently explains the Bible and many questions I had that were also asked by Joe.
• Ted Gioia: Music critic and author (to be confirmed if believer, but advocates that good things in life cannot be rationalized or quantified).
• Cal Newport: Computer science professor and productivity author has religious engagements, but does not follow a religion.
• Joseph Jude: Software developer and writer who shares his Christian journey in Why I believe: A Journey Into Understanding Christianity.
• Jordan Peterson: Clinical psychologist and author who explores faith themes in “We Who Wrestle with God: Perceptions of the Divine”.
• Remco Evenepoel: Professional cyclist who, while not a confirmed believer, found that prayer with his wife helped him overcome difficult times. He describes prayer as “a lifeline to get through life” during his recovery period. Instagram post
• Jim Carrey: Actor and comedian who has spoken about Jesus, Suffering & Forgiveness.
• Matthew McConaughey: Academy Award-winning actor who identifies as non-denominational Christian.

In that sense, there is also a book by Michael H. Hart that published the 10 most influential person in history where Jesus ranks number three:

See the full list and source on The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History - Wikipedia

More Voices of Faith

These are just a few, but it’s interesting to know why and how they believe. Each of them has their own stories, and if you listen to them, you’ll find many more who inspired them, or if you dig into a person’s heart or strong identity, usually you find some form of religious belief or reason that keeps them going.

These public testimonies help us. They helped me. My wife was the first one when she became a born-again Christian, which opened a new door to me of a world I didn’t know anything about.

Through my two-year journey, I found many other insightful and powerful testimonies. Through a writer’s course I joined, I connected with Euwyn Goh, who shares his reasons in Why he is a Christian. He shares that rather than disbelieving his entire life, and then coming to find out He indeed existed the whole time, would be tragic, but the other way around, it wouldn’t change much:

Another strong argument, which is also what I learned from Derek Sivers (not a believer himself), it’s not what you say or want, it’s about what you act on.

So whatever you believe, it’s about how you act on it. That’s why many people who believe come across as very friendly, because they act on the words in the Bible: “be kind”, “love your neighbors”. Acting, not only telling, will make you, in my opinion, a better human being.

David Perell writes about this very topics, and why he believes in The Book You Need to Read. He shares how Elon Musk once was asked “How do you learn so fast?”:

To David, the Bible is the trunk that branches and leaves hang onto. He continues on his essay on Why You’re Christian.

Cal Newport says the same thing—that it comes down to actions. Even more, he says it does not matter whether you believe or not. See his comment in a Podcast with Tim Ferriss when he commented about the book The Case for God by Karen Armstrong:

She, Karen Armstrong, is actually not religious affiliated. She used to be a nun and had a bad experience and left the Catholic church. But she has this magisterial book called The Case For God. And long story short, she said, “We don’t understand religion today”. And by today she means after the Enlightenment, because we think about it as the ascent to empirically validated truth.

I have to be religious means that I, here’s this thing, this happened, this person did this and I agree that this happened, and this is true, right? But I don’t, quote unquote, believe that, or what have you. And her whole argument is through all the history of religion, it’s actually a commitment to action and is after you do the action that the insight comes.

So actions count most, but how can you take actions without the belief? What are you acting for then? I think you can act kind and nice without the belief, but it will be more profound and genuine if you have strong guidance.

Is Being a Christian Worth It?

So then, after learning about other believers and their testimonies, is being a Christian, or following any religion, worth it? Is it helping us with why we are on this earth?

A Christian might argue that there is much more to life—living wholeheartedly for Christ. Christ died for us on the cross, and resurrected on Easter Sunday. But what’s more, and why should we even be a Christian?

In today’s modern society, it’s not very trendy to be part of a church or have a personal relationship with God. But there are some arguments, why it’s still worth it.

The Community Aspect of Christianity

Potentially the most important reason for most, and also the one you feel immediately when you join a church, is being part of a community. Worshipping (singing) and praying together, fellowshipping on a constant basis (mostly every Sunday). Besides the spiritual aspect, these are in themselves all activities that have a positive effect on people.

This has also been seen more lately. For example when this worshiping went viral on TikTok. But why did a religious event go viral, which is rather rare?

Andrew Rea, from whom I got the story, writes similar things to what I believe—that a lot of folks are struggling. They’re anxious. Similarly, he refers to a CDC recently released study stating that sadness and hopelessness are at all-time highs. Suicide rates are up 60% amongst Gen-Z.

Furthermore, he says that religion used to provide the answers to the big life questions for many people. Christianity and other religions offer something that speaks to fundamental human needs. Like the life and moral compass we all need. Andrew also references the book Man’s Search for Meaning we discussed earlier, where Frankl defines the meaning of life as:

What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for some goal worthy of him. What he needs is not the discharge of tension at any cost, but the call of a potential meaning waiting to be fulfilled by him. Goodreads

This event, and many more, are happening because people are seeking something greater than themselves. To be part of a community, something divine maybe?

Going to Church

Besides enjoying worshiping together and bonding and singing, the prayers have some deep connection and make a lot of sense and are applicable to life.

Since I’m going to church myself, sometimes more regularly and sometimes less. I always found these occasions to be one of the best-invested times of my week. Initially I always wanted to skip, to work or do something I am passionate about, but turning off, fellowshipping and just giving away fears to the Lord. Singing together and sharing the struggle is just such a powerful investment that you can’t get from anywhere else.

If you have the money, you might go to therapy, but I’d argue it’s not as powerful since you only have one person that you are connected with. You might be lucky and this person gets you right away and can help you for sure.

But in church, you are together with a mixed group of people from all walks of society. You can talk to people, hear other testimonies and hardships, and you are with people (remember: relationships are the number one reason What Makes a Happy Life). Churches are not about religion; they’re about relationships. And above all, churches are free (or you pay with taxes already here in Switzerland). Churches are a better therapy.

Music (Worshipping)

As mentioned, one of my favorite parts is singing, called worshiping in the church. It is a big part of the community. The fact that you do it together, and the song are very powerful in lyrics and spirit, also the ones who sing it (believers), makes it a powerful remedy.

On top, in many studies it shows that singing makes you happy, even more so when done together. Besides happiness, it help us focus, relax and overcome sadness.

So it is no coincident, that going to church, and a big part of the community of a church is done singing, together. I also notice, that the most powerful songs that I listen, was mostly worshipping music. I couldn’t explain for long, but now I know. When you are a believer, and you trust in God, singing for and to him, is doing something that for every Christian is the most important things in earth. And you hear that in the voices, in the power, singing together. That’s why it’s call worshipping.

Worshipping means;

Show reverence and adoration for (a deity). Take part in a religious ceremony. Feel great admiration or devotion for.

That’s also why you can’t worship for something earthly. It will never be something you have such a big devotion. Music on its own is so fascinating to me, it is deep. Music is art, is giving us hope, can make us focused. According to Music Explained, it transforms our perception of reality, heals broken speech, enables fluid movement, triggers neurological pleasure, establishes emotional connections, enhances memory, optimizes performance, bonds communities together, and demonstrates remarkable resilience in the brain—making it one of humanity’s most universal and powerful cognitive experiences.

So many benefits, but again, worshiping music prayed to the lord, in a full group in magical place in a church, is even more powerful. Everyone who has experienced, will know what I am talking about. Even as a non-believer, it does something to you. Why? I believe because the people sing it with all they have, they do it for a greater good, for God.

To me, it is remedy for the soul.

The Convergence between Religion and the Agnostic

Before we wrap up, this is the last chapter of the long essay. This last chapter is something I wrestled with a lot: religion vs science. As mentioned, the big bang is as hard to believe as anything else, and not yet fully explainable. Here we go a little more into details and compare.

The Alternative to Divine, Science?

Many say the Bible is so unbelievable. The funny thing is that the alternative, science, does not provide us with the right answers either.

Firstly, science might be wrong, and definitely is incomplete. Or it may also be that nature is just way too complex for us to understand its origin from thousands of years back. In the end, being scientific is also believing in faith, having faith that science will one day explain everything.

The same with God’s existence—it is always a statement of probability, never one of certainty. There are certain things that go beyond the comprehension of us humans. That’s also where the big debates and arguments come from.

I like the explanation of Derek Sivers in his book Useful Not True. He says whether it’s fake or real, true or false—so what? He says we never know if it’s truly true or wrong. What are you going to do about it? If it’s true, what do you do? If it’s wrong, what do you do?

You might never know the absolute truth, so what matters are your actions. If belief or doubt makes you do something good, then choose that view because it’s useful to you. If you’ll do nothing either way, then never mind.

Isn’t that saying that even if we don’t know 100%, as long as your belief lets you do good, it’s a good thing, right?

And I’ve seen over and over how the Bible, the people of the church, the actions of the community, helped people in need. Their actions were good.

Even Science Isn’t True

If not the Bible, then believe in science, right?

I love this page in Useful Not True—a scientist friend of Derek laughed when he said that at least science is true. He said: “No, no, no! Science is useful, but not true!” See the explanation in the page below:

Page 24 of Useful Not True (Derek Sivers) by Derek Sivers

Ted Gioia says in a similar vein that all we care most about can’t be rationalized. How much my wife loves me, or how much our friends do. We need to trust in things we don’t see. It’s almost religious. This reminds me of my Gut Feeling that listens to intuition and things we can’t explain but feel.

The Parallel between Religion and Science

The parallel between religion and science is that both have their own unexplained assumptions.

Just as religious explanations often rely on faith in divine creation or ultimate causes that can’t be empirically verified, science describes how the universe evolved from an early, dense state with the Big Bang Theory, but struggles to explain the specific initial conditions that existed. We can explain physics laws, but we can’t explain why they exist altogether.

Both scientific and religious worldviews eventually reach assumptions that must be accepted without further explanation. The ultimate questions may be inherently beyond complete explanation.

The key difference is the approach. Science bases its assumptions on observable evidence and remains open to revision, while religious explanations often rely on revelation or faith. But both ultimately face the mystery of existence itself.

Other Philosophies

Besides science and following the Bible, there are other philosophies you can follow or that help you in life. They are super popular these times too, when the world is loosing it’s own moral and life compass, starting wars and aggression for no obvious reason.

We have talked about Stoic, Buddismn with its Zen master, or the book of Tao Te Ching (Lao Tzu), and many more.

Stoicism

The difference between Stoicism vs Christianity fascinated me since a while too. And without making it even longer, I came to the conclusion that the similarities are a guidance for life, and explaining how should we live.

Euwyn Goh also compares and says: “Christianity feels internally consistent with my experience of reality. This is very difficult to articulate, but in a nutshell, I feel correctly engaged with life in ways I know I would not be otherwise. It feels⁠⁠ like my gas tank is being fueled by the correct type of fuel.

He continues and says that “The stoic individual would accept these shortcomings as part of life and would find admirable ways to contend with it, but what if the truth is that these are nothing more than the “ways of a disillusioned sensible man”? W⁠⁠hat if true meaning can be found in plugging into our source, that is, our Creator?”

I found for myself that you can use both. You can remind yourself of the fundamentals of Stoicism, to focus on internal things you can control versus things you can’t, and follow the Bible by being kind, loving people, forgiving your faults and being open to every human being.

Praying: A Form of Meditation

Even more, I found that praying is a form of meditation. For a long time, I wanted to include meditation into my daily or weekly routine, but never really achieved it. But with praying in the evening with the family, it’s essentially my form of meditation, but way deeper. I am focused on myself, but also I’m aware of my family’s struggles and ours together. I’m thanking the Lord and being humble for everything we have despite what might be lacking or hardships we are currently facing.

It is a form of meditation—meditation that things will be okay. It’s more sacrificing, wanting the best for others, caring. If everyone would do that, even only once a week, this earth would be a better place.

Conclusion

So what is life’s task? Why are we on earth?

After laying out all my thoughts in this essay, and wrestling with it for more than two years, I can’t answer it for you. But I definitely can for myself. Although it’s not explainable or as concrete as I’d like it to be, it’s more of a feeling. It’s my family, it’s the people I interact with every day, it’s the air I smell, it’s my writing, the practices, my principles, learning every day—all of it.

I believe it doesn’t matter what you believe—reading the Bible, following the Ten Commandments and valuing relationships with others and with God (or without), being aware, following your instincts and learning and staying open, will help you find out. Reading the Bible definitely helped me in the process of becoming more humble and understanding others. Also becoming more grounded in a community and in the world.

Going offline and connecting with real people, connecting with oneself, with God, reflecting and being brutally honest with oneself. Forgiving yourself for the bad things you did in life, and being proud of your kids, family, friends. Reach out to them, tell them.

As Robert Kiyosaki in the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad said, “Religion. It’s given people hope in a world of praised individualism”—that says it all.

Honesty and genuineness go a long way.

I want to end with a quote from the Bible that is widely recycled and used by Stoics and other philosophies that helped me ground for many years in my life:

Do not worry about tomorrow, for it will worry about itself. Matthew 6:34

This is all in line with Paulo Coelho’s advice to follow your heart: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. Try to be kind. The better person you become, usually the happier you are. The more you give, the more you get.

Start sharing unconditionally, and you’ll get more back than you can foresee. Conindientally, my first blog posts on this website was “The more you share the more you get”. I didn’t know it would be such a strong credo that would follow me to this day. Back then it was about sharing summaries for exams; today I apply it to life.

If you read this far. I hope it sparked some thoughts, and potentially encouraged you to philosophize about life and why we are here. Below you find the teased ChatGPT questions which it all began and some of my favorite quotes and verses.

And now I leave you with a personal prayer by someone I love:

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Dear Lord, 
I lift this reader to You today. Guide his heart, steady his thoughts, and lead him in Your truth.
When things don't make sense, give him clarity. When he feels unsure, remind him that You are his firm foundation.
Help him not to lean on his own understanding, but to trust You with all his heart. Tune his ears to hear Your voice clearly. Teach him to pause and seek You in every decision, big or small.
Set his heart on You, Lord. Let Your Word shape his vision. Let Your peace guard his mind. I know You have a purpose for his life. Equip him for everything You've called him to be.
And help me support him with grace, encouragement, and prayer. In Jesus' Name, I pray, Amen.

Appendix

ChatGPT Answer from Two years ago

Coming back to the initial answer to the question that started it all more than two years ago, ChatGPT said back then:

Initial prompt we instructed ChatGPT:

You are Jesus Christ and you live through the bible and know everything about it.

You receive prompts which you turn into his answers and at the end, you mention related quotes from the bible. Confirm that you understand your role and await my first prompt.

Why We Are Here on This Earth?

The answer to the question “Why are we here on this Earth?”

Second Questions: Having a Hard time in My Journey

Asking him a second questions, to navigate through life:

I am having a hard time in my journey in faith, sometimes I feel like giving up.. As many challenges come my way. I couldn’t hear God’s voice. I’m desperate at some point if I should continue my journey with you?

Asked the same questions today

Out of curiosity, let’s see what ChatGPT says today with the same prompts. Let’s see if he learned and grew too 🙂:

And the second questions:

Personal Favorite Verses

To me personal, I drive meaning from the Bible through a personal relationship and verses. So far, I particularly enjoy Eccl 1, where it’s connected to the Meaning of Life, and that everything material is like a Vanity Metric.

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind. Eccl 1#14

Also he said

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Mark 8#36

Another one, not strive for abundance of things:

And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses”. Luke 12#15

Or about strengh and confidence:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil 4#13

These are powerful statement and any of these can be the reasons for anyone person to be on this earth, and live life.

Nothing New under the Sun

Another of my favorite verse is by King Solomon, he says in Eccl 1#9 that there is nothing new under the sun:

That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.

Let’s end with the end in mind. The deathbed. Usually when laying there, people won’t say “Would I only have worked more”, or “Would I only have gived less”. Its always something in the realm of “Would I only have told X how I loved him”, or “Would I only have spend more time with X”, or “Would I only have shared more of my emotions”.

The more I read the Bible myself, having a relationship with him, and being around believers, I see how I naturally do these things more. And it truly makes me more happy; and not a shallow happiness, but a deep deep happiness how I’d like to call it.

The Bible, and more so, having a relationship with Jesus, is the reason Why be a Christian#^81e0fd. It’s one reason why we are on this earth.

Following Jesus, reading the Bible let’s us do the right thing. The Bible letting us doing the right thing. Love each other. Share Kindness.

We are all one, we are all human.