why was i created: a visual theology

This is the most important question you will ever ask.

Not "What should I do with my life?" Not "How can I be happy?" Not "What is my purpose?"

The question underneath all of those is this: Why was I created?

If you get this wrong, everything else will be off. But if you get this right, everything else aligns.

// a testimony

This is a question I was asking in December 2015. And through God's providence, I stumbled on Colossians that changed the trajectory of my life.

- December 2015

The Answer from Colossians

"For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things were created through him and for him."

- Colossians 1:16

Paul answers the question with shocking clarity: All things were created for Him.

Not for you. Not for your happiness. Not for your fulfillment. Not for your legacy. For Him.

You were created by Christ, you are sustained through Christ, and you exist for Christ.

Everything-every atom, every angel, every authority-was made for the glory of the Son of God.

// colossians 1:16 - the formula

// created

BY HIM

→

// sustained

THROUGH HIM

→

// purposed

FOR HIM

"All things were created for the glory of the Son of God."

// search query

"God's purpose for my life was that I have a passion for God's glory and that I have a passion for my joy in that glory, and that these two are one passion."

- Jonathan Edwards

Two Passions, One Purpose

Jonathan Edwards captured the unity that most people miss: Your joy and God's glory are not competing goals-they are the same goal.

You were made to delight in God's glory. Not to grit your teeth and begrudgingly give Him worship. Not to sacrifice your joy for His sake. But to find your deepest joy in His infinite worth.

When you live for God's glory, you discover the joy you were made for. When you pursue joy in anything less than God, you lose both joy and glory.

The two passions are one. God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him.

// edwards' insight - two passions, one goal

✨

God's Glory

He is honored when His worth is treasured above all. His glory is the ultimate end.

💎

Your Joy

You are satisfied when you treasure God's worth above all. Your joy is found in Him.

These are not competing goals - they are the same goal.
God is most glorified when you are most satisfied in Him.

YOU WERE CREATED
FOR THE GLORY OF GOD
AND YOUR JOY IN THAT GLORY

What This Means for Your Life

If you were created for Him, then:

// living for him - five areas

💼

Your Career

Not to build your name, but to magnify His. Steward your work for His kingdom.

❤️

Your Relationships

Reflect His love, demonstrate His grace, display His unity in every interaction.

🎨

Your Talents

Not to elevate yourself, but to steward gifts for His glory and kingdom purposes.

⚡

Your Suffering

Proves His sufficiency, demonstrates His sustaining power, refines your faith in the fire.

😊

Your Joy

He is most honored when you treasure Him above all. Your delight glorifies Him.

Every moment of your life-waking, working, resting, creating, suffering, celebrating-is an opportunity to fulfill the purpose for which you were made: the glory of God and your joy in that glory.

The Greatest Discovery

"He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent."

- Colossians 1:17-18

When you discover that you were made for Christ, everything shifts:

// when you discover your purpose - the shift

📊

Success Redefined

No longer measured by what you achieve, but by whether Christ is preeminent in all things.

💪

Failure Not Final

Your worth is not based on performance but on being made for His glory.

🎯

Purpose Certain

You know exactly why you exist: for Him. No more searching, wondering, drifting.

This is the answer that changes everything. You were created for the glory of God and your joy in that glory.

The Call

Stop living for yourself. Start living for the One who made you for Himself.

The moment you align your life with the purpose for which you were created-the glory of God and your joy in that glory-everything begins to make sense.

Colossians 1:16 is not just theology. It is the answer to the question you've been asking your entire life.

Why were you created?

For Him. Through Him. To Him.