Overview

The Shorter Catechism opens with the most famous question in Reformed theology — the purpose of human existence. Everything that follows in the catechism is built on this foundation: we exist to glorify and enjoy God. It is the lens through which all doctrine and duty are to be read.

The Questions & Answers

Q1. What is the chief end of man? A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

Scripture Proofs (ESV):

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor. 10:31, ESV)

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you… God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Ps. 73:25–26, ESV)

Further proofs: Rom. 11:36; Ps. 16:5–11; Isa. 43:7; Rev. 4:11.

Exposition: Notice the singular “end” — not two ends but one, with two inseparable sides. To glorify God and to enjoy Him are not in tension; they are one purpose. God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. The catechism refuses the false choice between God’s glory and human joy: we were made to find our deepest delight precisely in giving God the honor due His name. And the end is “forever” — a purpose that death cannot end but consummates.

Connections

• WLC Q1 — “Man’s chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy him forever.” The Larger Catechism adds “highest” and “fully,” underscoring the same truth.
• WCF 2 (Of God) — the all-glorious God whom we are to glorify and enjoy.
• Loci: the chief end of man; the purpose of creation (Isa. 43:7; Rev. 4:11).

Pastoral & Practical Significance

This single sentence reorders a whole life. It means you were not made first for career, family, comfort, or even ministry, but for God — to display His worth and to delight in Him. That dignifies the most ordinary moments (“whether you eat or drink”) as occasions for God’s glory, and it exposes the emptiness of every substitute that promises joy apart from Him. When the heart is restless, this answer diagnoses the cause: we were made for God and cannot finally rest in anything less. And it offers the deepest comfort: your truest joy and God’s highest glory are not rivals but the same goal, secured forever in Christ.

For Memory & Reflection

• Commit Q1 to memory; anchor verse: 1 Corinthians 10:31. This is the cornerstone of the whole catechism.
• Where am I seeking joy in things that cannot finally satisfy, instead of in God Himself?
• How would treating God’s glory and my joy as one end — not two — change an ordinary day?