Does life have a purpose at all or does it not have purpose, which gives us the chance to make up any purpose?
This exercise in pleasing God defers all our happiness to the future, where our reward for all this struggle and suffering is presumed to be. This is a horrible game and there is no meaning other than a capricious and punitive God who is watching every single one of us doing every little thing, thinking every little thought, as if He had nothing better to do. So at the end our our lives He can judge us and let us know we are not ready for heaven yet.
Even if we provide this story, it ultimately has no meaning. It is more of a trap. However, if we do not look for meaning and participate as part of the Universe itself, then we have a chance of finding joy and happiness in this life and the light of understanding is turned on. This is the purpose of the Soul’s continued growth, expansion, and endless creativity. This is why we are here. We are a manifestation of the Universal Soul, which also has these properties.
As soon as we clear away all conditioning around religions and institutionalized purposes and get into contact with our Soul, life takes on a new meaning. It does not become a goal or purpose, but more a growth and development. It expands into endless potential, wonder, magnificence. The human need to find some neat little story to tie it all up and to control each other with begins to look childish and un-evolved.
Being the Universe, manifesting itself, is as close to a meaning or purpose as you will get. And since it is constantly evolving, flowing, and changing it is not set in stone with one designated meaning and purpose. Besides, purpose implies and end-product: The purpose of doing this is so we can get that. In eternity, there is no end, it just goes on and on forever.