Life doesn’t look like what you thought it would. You had plans, dreams, expectations about where you’d be and who you’d become by now, and reality hasn’t cooperated. Maybe you’re stuck in situations you never wanted, dealing with problems you didn’t create, or watching opportunities pass by while you’re trapped by circumstances you can’t control.
The gap between the life you imagined and the life you’re actually living feels impossibly wide, and you’re not sure if hoping for something better is realistic or just setting yourself up for more disappointment.
What makes life particularly difficult is the constant uncertainty. You don’t know if things will improve, if your efforts will pay off, or if you’re wasting your time pursuing things that will never materialize.
You’re tired of advice about making the most of each day when your days feel monotonous and meaningless. You want purpose, significance, a sense that your life matters beyond just getting through another week, but finding that feels elusive when you’re overwhelmed by responsibilities and disappointments.
These verses speak to what life is actually about, where real meaning comes from, and how to live in ways that matter eternally.
Bible Verses About Life
1. John 10:10 – I Have Come That They May Have Life
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
New King James Version (NKJV)
2. John 14:6 – Jesus Answered, I Am the Way
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
New International Version (NIV)
3. Jeremiah 29:11 – For I Know the Plans I Have for You
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
New Living Translation (NLT)
4. Psalm 90:12 – Teach Us to Number Our Days
So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
English Standard Version (ESV)
5. Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
New King James Version (NKJV)
6. Matthew 6:25 – Therefore I Tell You
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
New International Version (NIV)
7. Romans 6:23 – For the Wages of Sin Is Death
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
New Living Translation (NLT)
8. Philippians 1:21 – For to Me, to Live Is Christ
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
English Standard Version (ESV)
9. John 11:25 – Jesus Said to Her
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”
New King James Version (NKJV)
10. Ecclesiastes 3:1 – There Is a Time for Everything
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.
New International Version (NIV)
11. Proverbs 4:23 – Guard Your Heart Above All Else
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
New Living Translation (NLT)
12. 1 John 5:12 – Whoever Has the Son Has Life
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
English Standard Version (ESV)
13. Deuteronomy 30:19-20 – I Call Heaven and Earth to Witness
I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days.
New King James Version (NKJV)
14. James 4:14 – Why, You Do Not Even Know
Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
New International Version (NIV)
15. Colossians 3:3-4 – For You Died, and Your Life Is Now Hidden
For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
New Living Translation (NLT)
16. John 6:35 – Jesus Said to Them
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
17. 1 Timothy 6:12 – Fight the Good Fight of the Faith
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
New King James Version (NKJV)
18. Psalm 16:11 – You Make Known to Me the Path of Life
You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
New International Version (NIV)
19. Matthew 16:25 – For Whoever Wants to Save Their Life
If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
New Living Translation (NLT)
20. Galatians 2:20 – I Have Been Crucified with Christ
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
21. Proverbs 16:9 – A Man’s Heart Plans His Way
A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
New King James Version (NKJV)
22. 1 Peter 3:10 – For, Whoever Would Love Life
For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.”
New International Version (NIV)
23. Ecclesiastes 12:13 – Here Now Is My Final Conclusion
That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty.
New Living Translation (NLT)
24. 2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, If Anyone Is in Christ
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
English Standard Version (ESV)
25. Job 33:4 – The Spirit of God Has Made Me
The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
New King James Version (NKJV)
26. John 3:16 – For God So Loved the World
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
New International Version (NIV)
27. Psalm 139:13-14 – For You Created My Inmost Being
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
New Living Translation (NLT)
28. Romans 8:6 – For to Set the Mind on the Flesh
For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
English Standard Version (ESV)
29. Genesis 2:7 – And the Lord God Formed Man
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
New King James Version (NKJV)
30. 1 John 5:11 – And This Is the Testimony
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
New International Version (NIV)
31. Proverbs 10:27 – The Fear of the Lord Adds Length to Life
Fear of the Lord lengthens one’s life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.
New Living Translation (NLT)
32. Acts 17:28 – For in Him We Live and Move
For in him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your own poets have said, “For we are indeed his offspring.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
33. Psalm 27:1 – The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
New King James Version (NKJV)
34. Matthew 7:14 – But Small Is the Gate
But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
New International Version (NIV)
35. Titus 3:7 – So That, Having Been Justified by His Grace
Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Our Thoughts On What the Bible Says About Life
Scripture presents life as more than biological existence or the accumulation of experiences between birth and death. Real life, abundant life, is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He came that we might have life and have it abundantly.
Without Him, you’re merely existing. With Him, you’re actually living in the fullest sense. This reframes everything because it means the quality of your life isn’t ultimately determined by your circumstances but by your connection to the source of life.
What’s challenging about the biblical view of life is that it requires you to die to yourself to truly live. If you try to save your life, you’ll lose it. If you lose your life for Christ’s sake, you’ll find it. To live is Christ, and to die is gain.
This paradox only makes sense when you understand that clinging to control, to your own plans, to self-preservation actually leads to a smaller, more anxious existence. Surrendering to Christ opens you to purposes bigger than yourself and resources beyond your own capacity.
The brevity of life is a repeated theme. Your life is a mist that appears briefly and then vanishes. You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring. This isn’t meant to depress you but to help you number your days wisely, to invest in what matters eternally rather than wasting time on what won’t last.
Say This Prayer
Father, I confess that I’ve been trying to build a life on my own terms, pursuing my own plans, and finding it empty and frustrating. Help me to understand that real life is found in You, not in circumstances cooperating or dreams materializing. Teach me what it means to live abundantly, not by having everything I want but by knowing You and living for purposes that matter eternally.
Show me where I’m wasting my life on things that won’t last and redirect my energy toward what will endure. Help me to number my days wisely, to make the most of the time You’ve given me, and to invest in relationships and purposes that honor You. Forgive me for complaining about the life I have instead of being grateful for the gift of life itself.
I surrender control of my life to You. My plans haven’t worked out the way I wanted, and I’m tired of trying to force outcomes I can’t control. Direct my steps, order my priorities, and use my life for Your glory. Help me to find satisfaction in knowing You rather than in achieving what I think will make me happy. Let Christ be my life, and help me to live in ways that reflect that reality.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.