Do you ever find yourself wondering what's my purpose, and do I really care? It's so easy to let our lives go on day after day, and never truly understand why we are here. Vaclev Havel (1988) wrote, "The tragedy of modern man is not that he knows less and less about the meaning of his own life, but that it bothers him less and less" (p. 237).
To completely understand Vaclev Havel’s statement, I had
to read it a few times and ask myself, “what is more critical: to not know the
meaning of one’s life, or to not care to know the meaning of one’s life?” I would have to agree with Havel, in that it
is much more tragic to not care to know the meaning of life.
There are a few reasons why I agree with Havel. If you no longer care to know the meaning of
your life, where is your purpose found?
The modern man has lost focus of what is truly important. Most people I encounter on a daily basis are
merely going through the motions. What
would happen if I stopped to ask someone, “what is the meaning of your
life?” Most would be speechless. Sadly, our society has taught us that it’s
okay to just “do life”, go with the flow, take opportunities when they come,
because eventually life will be over.
However, when we get caught in that mindset, we forget the true meaning
of our lives. Whether someone’s
worldview is naturalism, transcendentalism, theism, or postmodernism, we all
have the desire to have some kind of purpose.
Yet, how can one truly understand their purpose if they don’t understand
their meaning?
Developing a worldview causes each person to answer
questions about their own life.
Questions such as: “origin, meaning, morality, destiny, and identity”
(Phillips, Brown, & Stonestreet, 2008, pg. 9), all topics which we seek to
answer as we begin to discover what worldview we hold. So, if one no longer cares that he doesn't know the meaning of his life, how is he to form his own worldview? In this day and age young people, in
particular, are so easily influenced by what society portrays as normal. So, are people truly trying to understand
what they believe, or are they following the crowd and choosing to believe
something because that’s what society says is true?
“Worldviews have
been adapted, modified, embedded, and enshrined in various cultures. Now, in the information age, a smorgasbord of
worldviews confronts us as we explore our global village. How are we to sift through all these views
and determine which (if any) reflects true reality?” (Phillips, Brown, &
Stonestreet, 2008, pg. 15) When a person
no longer cares to discover the meaning of their life, are they now subject to
choosing a worldview, based off of what everyone else is doing or saying? For example, if you don’t know your name,
then you don’t know your personal identity.
When you no longer know who you are, you become a compilation of beliefs
and assumptions of what other people say you are to be. The same is true for one’s meaning.
When a man chooses to not know his meaning, and thus no
longer cares that he doesn't know his meaning, he is ultimately choosing to not
know his origin, his morality, his destiny, and his identity. When unable to determine the answer to each
of these questions, how are you able to determine your worldview? It’s as if man has become a robot, merely
doing what he is told, and not thinking independently for himself. That is why I believe it to be absolutely
crucial to know and fully understand the meaning and purpose of your life.
"For I know the plans I have for you (insert your name), plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11
What will you say to God?
Let your answer be, "Yes, Lord, Yes!"
References:
Phillips, W. G., Brown, W. E. & Stonestreet, J.
(2008). Making
sense of your world: A biblical worldview. (2nd ed.).
Salem, WI: Sheffield Publishing Company.
Havel. V. (1988). Letters to Olga. New York, NY: Knopf Publishers.
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