What is your goal in life? Many of us would struggle with answering that question because we would have difficulty responding in the singular. We all have goals in life: family, friends, careers, health, comfort, and, of course, happiness. Hopefully, faith fits in there somewhere. But if it came down to it, and your life was reduced to only one, what would it be?
Aristotle wrote that the goal of life is eudaimonia (Greek), often translated as “happiness” or “flourishing,” but not in the way we might think. Epicurus was the Greek philosopher who believed in the adage, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you may die.” His philosophy was more self-centered and inward-looking. For Aristotle, achieving happiness and the good life was about cultivating virtue and living in balance. To be truly happy meant living with one’s best character, wisdom, and courage, which admittedly sounds less selfish and more noble. Aristotle’s philosophy had a standard. The problem is that the standard for one’s character, wisdom, and courage is individually defined. I decide what is best for me … and that will make me happy.
But when Jesus was asked about the greatest goal for living the “good life,” he offered a radically different framework.
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind … And love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37; NIV). Jesus concluded by saying that everything else hinges on these two priorities.
Aristotle’s good life was measured by the virtues we cultivate within ourselves. Jesus’ good life is measured by love—first directed toward God, then overflowing toward others. Instead of internal balance, Jesus calls for wholehearted devotion that looks to others. Instead of pursuing our own inward standard of excellence, Jesus points us toward divine love that reaches outward.
Interestingly, both agree that a good life cannot be found in chasing pleasure or wealth alone. While Aristotle’s path leaves us striving to polish our character according to the standards we set, Jesus’ way is rooted in grace and love according to the standard set by God. We don’t manufacture the good life on our own; we receive it as a gift of God’s love, then reflect it outward.
Perhaps the question isn’t just “What is the good life?” but also, “Whose life defines the good?” For Christians, the answer is clear: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus show us the fullest picture of human flourishing. Our good life is life in him.
Prayer: Lord, we often chase after happiness in all the wrong places—success, possessions, or recognition. Teach me instead to find life in you. Shape my love so that I love you with heart, soul, and mind, and let that love spill over into the way I treat others. May I learn that the good life is not something I build, but something I receive in Christ. Amen.
