So maybe you’ve heard it said, ‘read your bible’ so you tried and failed. Our hope as leaders is that all of us will pick up God’s word and come to understand the true nature of God. After all, the bible is God’s Word curated over centuries detailing His nature, His will, the meaning of life and humanity’s historical interactions with Him. The Bible details the hidden keys to the Kingdom. Hence, the reason we are reviewing a new book each week.
The last couple of weeks, we learned from the books of Psalms and proverbs. We have learned the origin and power that comes from wisdom. We also learned God’s nature is multifaceted with the scriptures highlighting 85 different names for the one and only. This week we continue with the wisdom literature by jumping into the age old question: What is the meaning of life?
In Man’s Search for Meaning, the psychiatrist and neurologist Viktor Frankl (d. 1997) wrote about his ordeal as a concentration camp inmate during the Second World War. Tellingly, Frankl found that those who survived longest in the concentration camp were not those who were physically strong, but those who retained a sense of control over their environment. He observed:
We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms—to choose one’s own attitude in any given set of circumstances—to choose one’s own way.
Frankl’s message is ultimately one of hope: Even in the most absurd, painful, and dispiriting of circumstances, life can still be given a meaning, and so too can suffering. Life in the concentration camp taught Frankl that our main drive or motivation in life is neither pleasure, nor power, but meaning.
If you were asked, what is the meaning of life, how would you answer?
Depending on your upbringing or education or socio-economic status, your answer might be different from the person sitting next to you. With that being said, Will your answer get you through the concentration camp experiences of your life?
Did you know:
America leads the developed world in suicide attempts?
the suicide rate for boys and young men in the 15-24 age group rose by 50% between 2001 and 2021?
the suicide rate for girls and women in the same age group more than doubled in the same span?
more than 38,000 men died by suicide in 2021, the highest number and rate of deaths in 20 years?
There are no simple answers to suicide or self harm. However, I believe that many of those deaths could have been prevented if each individual had a healthy understanding of the true meaning of life and their value within it. A meaning that is succinctly stated in two key verses in Ecclesiastes. The scripture for us today is from
Eccl. 12:13
13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
Let’s break down the scripture: Fear God
Many biblical leaders explain the fear of the Lord as a mere respect or reverence. And maybe we should give the idea a little more credence since the idea of the fear of God appears at least 300 times in the scriptures.
William D. Eisenhower gives a better description of 'Fearing God" in an article he wrote in Christianity Today: “When we assume that the world is the ultimate threat, we give it unwarranted power, for in truth, the world's threats are temporary. When we expect God to balance the stress of the world, we reduce him to the world's equal …. As I walk with the Lord, I discover that God poses an ominous threat to my ego, but not to me. He rescues me from my delusions, so he may reveal the truth that sets me free. He casts me down, only to lift me up again. He sits in judgment of my sin, but forgives me nevertheless. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but love from the Lord is its completion.
Fear of God is the proper understanding of His unconditional love. A love he has shown, since our introduction into the world He created. Genesis One tells us we are made in his image (Gen 1:26) and therefore very good and a reflection of him. A statement from the start that gives all of us intrinsic worth; nothing can give us greater value. Made to reflect His image, we have a purpose: to glorify God; nothing can give us greater satisfaction. Genesis 2 continues this relationship as we spent time in the garden. A time in which God
1) made man a social creature (Genesis 2:18–25)
2) gave man work (Genesis 2:15)
3) had fellowship with man (Genesis 3:8)
4) gave man dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26).
Facts significant to the meaning of life. God intended us to have fulfillment in life. A condition affected by our fall into sin and the resulting curse upon the earth (Genesis 3) and a situation he sought to rectify by giving the chosen a set of loving commands to protect us and guide them/us in seeing and doing His will. Unfortunately, a sick society can not fix itself. The old testament shows us man will always revert to self and self serving. Often to the peril of everyone and the world in which we live.
Hence the reason we needed an intervention to break the cycle. As a Christ follower, we recognize our intervention happened 2000 years ago. As God came down to earth as Jesus, our savior, He ushered in an opportunity for all to come into a relationship with Him through Jesus. A relationship in which we get to cooperate with the creator of the universe under his guidance and direction.
Even if you feel worthless, feel you can’t go on or don’t think you can ever be useful: God's arms are wide open. You are made in his image. He had a reason for creating you. There is a point to your life and its so much bigger than you can fathom. The best news of all is you just have to surrender and receive His love, submit to his guidance and live!
Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). A “full” life is one that is meaningful and devoid of aimless wandering.
Therein lies the meaning of life: To enjoy the freedom and the simplicity of life by realizing God’s absolute control to the point we trust in the Lord’s love.
Creative: https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/ecclesiastes/ 8:02
References: Quest Bible Overviews, Warren Wiersbe Commentary https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201803/what-is-the-meaning-life
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4009420-more-women-attempt-suicide-more-men-die-by-suicide/
https://communitycenter.life
