The present study examines the moderated mediation model of resilience and meaning in life (MIL) within the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) framework. A sample of 971 Chinese college students (mean age = 19.95; 69.5% female) completed measures of consideration of future consequences (CFCs), resilience, MIL, and perceived stress. The results supported the hypothesized model: CFCs negatively predicted perceived stress, and this relationship was partially mediated by resilience. MIL moderated the association between CFCs and perceived stress, with the search for meaning subdimension amplifying the negative relationship. In contrast, the presence of meaning did not exhibit a significant moderating effect. High levels of CFCs were significantly linked to lower perceived stress when the level of search for meaning was high. These findings highlight the dynamic interplay of cognitive and motivational factors in stress management, underscoring the potential of fostering resilience and meaning-seeking behaviors to promote well-being among college students.