The pursuit and acceptance of knowledge is a pathway to growth. Knowledge can build upon itself. Knowledge and understanding extinguish irrational fears. It will be the core building block of our future growth as a species.
Our ability to empathize is a biological gift to our species. Evolution taught us to feel each others' pain and revel in each others' joy. Empathy can guide to understanding. It will tell us how to behave. It will tell others how to behave towards us.
Our position in the scale of the universe and the mode of our create means that everything you do effects in some small way everything other thing. When you harm a natural system or another human, you damage the very web that sustains you.
There are so many things that we actually know about that are profoundly awesome. There is no need for a deity to be able to bask in the glories of the universe.