Was God Lonely? And Other Questions About Why We're Here

Have you ever asked someone why they think God created us or why we're here, why we exist? Have you ever wondered about it yourself? And what is the answer? Do you think that it's because God was lonely? Maybe you've heard that it's so that God could express His love towards something or someone. But is that what we see in Scripture? Are we left to wonder about the "why" of our existence, and, frankly, the "why" of everything?

At the risk of breaking it to you too quickly, the answer, in short, is so that we, along with all of creation, would glorify God.

Seems simple enough, but it can often be lost on us.

I love helping with Vacation Bible School. It is a great opportunity, not only to serve, but also to invest in the next generation in a very tangible way. I got to ask a group of kids the following question: "Why do you think God made us?"

The answers were interesting, yet compelling. And that, especially so, given they were coming from some very young children. It shows that they're thinking about these things. Sometimes, myself included, we give children too little credit for what they can not only think, but also understand.

The answers varied, but many can be summed up in the idea that perhaps God was lonely.

As is often the case, I write these blogs, realizing I'm opening a can of worms that I will not be able to contain. But I can attempt to offer some Scripture to help us answer these questions.

• Question # 1: Was God Lonely?

While not the original question I asked the kids, it needed to be answered based on their responses.

And it is a fair question, I suppose. What was God doing in eternity past before the creation of the universe? We tend to think linearly, being that that's how we exist: in time.

And so, it could be easy to think of God in the same way; that is, what was He doing a trillion years ago, since He is without beginning?

But God is outside of time, not beholden to it. A day for God is like a thousand years, and vice versa (2 Peter 3:8).

Just because God exists outside of time, we might still wonder about whether He was lonely.

But the truth is, He was not. God is a Trinity. This is one of the hardest things to understand as a believer, but it is a clear teaching of Scripture. God is one in Being, three in Person: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We do not worship three gods. We worship one God, who has revealed Himself as the three Persons of the Trinity.

That is a topic for another day, but suffice it to say, He was not lonely. The three divine Persons enjoyed perfect fellowship for all of eternity past. There was no "need" for God to create something outside of Himself so that He could express His love, for He enjoyed perfect love and unity in Himself (John 17:24).

Maybe that's not the most satisfactory answer, but I believe it is the Biblical one.

• Question # 2: Why Do We Exist?

And, so, why then do we exist? If it isn't to satisfy God's loneliness, why would He take the time to make us? Just as understanding God as Trinity is important to understanding our purpose, so it is important to know who He is, to know His character.

God is love (1 John 4:16). He is also many other things. His eternal attributes and divine nature are declared by the natural world (Romans 1:20).

He is a God who saves, and even that is for a purpose, as Paul puts it:

"...to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved." Ephesians 1:6 (read 1:3-6 for further context).

Ultimately, we exist to glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 3:17, John 17:24).

This is done by those who come to saving faith, by the very fact that God saved them (Ephesians 1:6). It is accomplished through the praise we give to Him because of His saving us (and because of all He is). We also bring Him glory through the things we do (Matthew 5:16, keeping in mind our actions do not earn or contribute to our salvation).

But even the judgment of the wicked, I believe, will bring glory to God. He does not delight in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23), but He is a just and righteous God. He will be glorified for His perfect judgments.

Even the evil actions of man, God can turn into that which is good, and bring glory to Himself (Psalm 76:10, Acts 4:27-28). This is not to say these evil actions of men are inherently good, but that God is powerful enough to turn them towards His purposes (Genesis 50:20).

All of that to say, we exist to bring God glory. Primarily this is done by His saving wretched sinners. As we come into His presence, we will glorify Him forever for His greatness and His grace.

But He will be glorified for not just what we might call His "positive" attributes, but for all of who He is, even His perfect wrath and righteous justice.

• Conclusion

So did I spell all of that out to the Pre-K kids in our VBS? No, I can't say I did to that degree, but I tried to explain to them the simple truth that God is sufficient in Himself, and that He created us to bring Him praise.

But I don't want you to think I'm diminishing the reality that God indeed lavishes His love upon us (1 John 3:1).

Because of God's love (John 3:16), we can be brought into a right relationship with Him through Christ. And while we glorify Him both now and into eternity, we will also enjoy His presence, the perfect, glorious presence of God, forever.

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