Dear Hans,
Thank you for your fundamental question, which probably all people ask themselves at some point. And the reason for this, in my opinion, is that this question is deeply ingrained in us. We ask ourselves about the meaning of life because we have unfulfilled needs within us. We try to satisfy these needs with various things in life – in the hope that we will finally be completely happy when we have achieved this or that goal or can finally afford the purchase we have been saving up for for a long time. But once the wish has been fulfilled, experience shows that an unfulfilled longing remains and the quest for fulfillment continues.
And just imagine: Now someone comes along who claims “I want to satisfy your hunger for life”. Would you want to find out more about him? Would you try it out? You can, because the person who claims this is Jesus and he introduces himself in the Bible. He wants to meet you personally, give you fulfillment in life and much more: He wants to restore your broken relationship with God, grant you forgiveness and give you eternal life with God. He can do this because when he came to earth, he died on the cross for our sins and proved through his resurrection that he had conquered death. You can find out more here.
Behind the question of the meaning of life often lies a much more fundamental question of meaning, namely the question of whether there is more to life than living a few years on earth and then having to give it all away again. But if there really is more – can we find this meaning in life? “God has placed eternity in our hearts” is the Bible’s explanation for this (The Bible, Ecclesiastes 3 verse 11). In other words: We are made for more than just living a few years on earth. We are actually made for eternity. And this often unconscious feeling brings us to this fundamental question about the meaning of life. But if the Bible has something to say about this essential question, then it also provides answers as to how we can reconnect with God, who presents himself in the Bible as the “source of life”. And it also provides answers on how we can prepare ourselves for eternity. So I simply invite you to look into the Bible for yourself.
If you would like to read the Bible, you can order a free New Testament (the second part of the Bible) here or you can read the Bible online or via a free app. We will also be happy to answer any further questions you may have.