Philosopher or Follower

What is the meaning of life?
Why was I put on this earth?
What is my purpose here?

Say you get to the end of your life, and look back, what will you need to see in order to feel your life had meaning, in order to not feel regret?
you were successful
always had plenty of what you wanted
that you were loved
that you always tried to do good to others
grew old with your spouse
raised healthy, successful kids
became famous
had strong faith
made mostly good choices
provided for your family
you were liked by all
helped people in need
made a difference
you were happy
achieved your goals
were true to yourself

What makes life meaningful?

After wading through various dilemmas proposed by Thaddeus Metz in an article titled "The Meaning of Life" at the online Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, I summarized a few, for you to think about.
Do I need God to make my life meaningful?
If my life derives meaning from fulfilling God's purposes, does that devalue me, make me less significant? Does saying that I have no purpose apart from God make me less human? If God gives meaning to our lives, he would give equal meaning to all, irrespective of action, making the meaning of one life no different from another. Intuitively, this appears to be wrong, says the author.
What is the meaning of meaningful? Does meaningful mean happy, moral, significant, successful, goal-oriented, purposeful?
Does meaning in life come from those we love, or who loves us?
The supernatural view vs the natural view: A naturalist would point out that "a purely physical world seems able to do the job for which God is purportedly necessary". For that to be true, you have to believe that, in the place of a just God, there is a cosmic justice that acts on nature. The philosopher would ask the spiritualist, "What is it about God that makes Him uniquely qualified to give meaning to your life?"
Is God my only source of meaning? Can I not give meaning to myself? According to the author, for me to get meaning from God, He can't be like me, for if God and I were alike, than that would preclude that I can, just as easily, derive meaning from myself. But if God is utterly not like me, utterly perfect, (which he would have to be for there to be any reason to necessitate meaning coming from him) then he is totally beyond relating to, and therefore, unable to give me meaning. Can one love a perfect being? Can a perfect being even be a person? Why must my meaning come from a perfect being? Can't a very good being give me meaning just as well?

Philosophers! They philosophize themselves into knots, and don't have a chance of treading water, much less walking on it.

Solomon was a philosopher. He may have gotten more than he bargained for, when he asked for great wisdom and knowledge, because he writes, " in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain." (ecclesiastes1:18) His lifetime of understanding and brilliance had only served to burden him, for, at the end, he said, "I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind." (2:17) Man is never satisfied with his work, if his soul loves money, he will never have enough. All man, whether good or evil, face the same end; they come into the world naked and that's exactly how they leave it. "What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted." (1:15) Solomon, after reaching the most achievable wisdom and glory, knew that nature could not take the place of God, that without God, life had no purpose.
"Consider the work of God, for who is able to straighten what He has bent? In the day of prosperity be happy, but in the day of adversity consider God has made the one as well as the other." (7:14)
His conclusion?
"fear God and keep His commandments, for God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether good or evil." (12:13-14)

Does God have a purpose for your life? Are you interested in finding it? What if that purpose was to suffer?

That's a rather odd and seemingly perverse one, wouldn't you say? I admit it sounds masochistic, but suffering is only perverse if you are getting fleshly pleasure out of it. That's not what Peter had in mind when he said, "Servants, you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps." (1peter2:21)

What purpose could suffering have in my life?
For one, it is your best weapon against sin. "Therefore since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin." (4:1) For another, to suffer like Christ is to be glad now, and to be jumping for joy later, when Christ's glory is revealed. (13) Then there is the promise attached, "and after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself, perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you." (5:10) That was perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish, okay, got it?

 And lastly, consider Jesus's words:
"The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified."
If a grain of wheat never goes into the ground to die, it just sits there, by itself, never fulfilling its purpose; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it; and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall My servant also be; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
"Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 'Father, glorify Your name.'" (john12:23-28)

Suffering helps me along to my death, and that doesn't give me purpose, it is my purpose.
What should I say, then, to this pain and suffering, "Father, deliver me?"
No, but instead, I should say "Father be glorified!"

At the end of your life, when you look back, what will you see?
Will you see your footprints following those of Christ?




Metz, Thaddeus, "The Meaning of Life", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2013 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2013/entries/life-meaning/>.