1) The Bible declares that God existed before anything else. He made the world, made us all, and therefore to understand who we are and why we are here, He has to tell us. In Genesis (1:28ff) God tells our first parents that they are to “be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” In other words, they are to enjoy this lovely world He has made and take care of it. He meets with them in unbroken fellowship until they disobey Him and as a result experience dislocation in their relationship with Him, with each other, and even with the earth. The rest of the Bible deals with the consequences and God’s solution to this fundamental problem.

2) The prophet Isaiah (43:6,7) quotes God as saying the following: “Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth – everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” From this text we are led to understand that God’s purpose in making us goes beyond just mere existence. He wants to have a relationship with us, to get to know Him, and that we would glorify Him – demonstrate His greatness, justice, and love.

3) The Apostle Paul reiterates this concept in the New Testament, when he writes to the new believers in Corinth, “whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

4) The Apostle Peter writes to Christians reminding them that they are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). He underscores that God has called them out of the shadow of the ignorance of who He is and why they were created, and has given them the great privilege of enjoying Him and making Him known to all.

For the above reasons, one group of Christians has stated that the basic purpose of life is “to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” (Question 1 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism.)

This is the short answer, Kimberly, of why we are here.