It All Starts with God

"Unless you assume a God, the question of life's purpose is meaningless."—Bertrand Russell, atheist

The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years. That's because we typically begin at the wrong starting point—ourselves. We ask self-centered questions like, "What do I want to be? What should I do with my life? What are my goals, my ambitions, my dreams for my future?" But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life's purpose.
You cannot arrive at your life's purpose by starting with a focus on yourself. You must begin with God, your Creator. You exist because God wills that you exist. You were made by God and for God—and until you understand that, life will never make sense. It is only in God that we discover our origin, our identity, our meaning, our purpose, our significance, and our destiny. Every other purpose leads to a dead end.
I have read many books that suggest ways to discover the purpose of my life. All of them could be classified as "self-help" books because they approach the subject from a self-centered viewpoint. Self-help books, even Christian ones, usually offer the same predictable steps to finding your life's purpose: Consider your dreams. Clarify your values. Set some goals. Figure out what you are good at. Aim high. Go for it! Be disciplined. Believe you can achieve your goals. Involve others. Never give up.
Of course, these recommendations often lead to great success. You can usually succeed in reaching a goal if you put your mind to it. But being successful and fulfilling your life's purpose are not at all the same issue! You could reach all your personal goals, becoming a raving success by the world's standard, and still miss the purpose for which God created you. You need more than self-help advice. The Bible says, "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it" (Matthew 16:25).
For thousands of years brilliant philosophers have discussed and speculated about the meaning of life. Philosophy has its uses, but when it comes to determining the purpose of life, even the wisest philosophers are just guessing.
Dr. Hugh Moorhead, a philosophy professor at Northeastern Illinois University, once wrote to 250 of the best-known philosophers, scientists, writers and intellectuals in the world, asking them, "What is the meaning of life?" He then published their responses in a book. Some offered their best guesses, some admitted that they just made up a purpose for life, and others were honest enough to say they were clueless. In fact, a number of famous intellectuals asked Professor Moorhead to write back and tell them if he discovered the purpose of life! [Hugh S. Moorhead, comp., The Meaning of Life According to Our Century's Greatest Writers and Thinkers (Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 1988).]
Fortunately, there is an alternative to speculation about the meaning and purpose of life. It's revelation. We can turn to what God has revealed about life in His Word. The easiest way to discover the purpose of an invention is to ask the creator of it. The same is true for discovering your life's purpose: Ask God.
God is not just the starting point of your life; He is the source of it. To discover your purpose in life you must turn to God's Word, not the world's wisdom. You must build your life on eternal truths, not pop psychology, success-motivation, or inspirational stories.
(From the book " The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren)