Why Is It So Hard to Live A Meaningful Life? (And What We Can Do About It) - Part 2
Last week we began taking a closer look at the struggle to find meaning; to live with purpose and fulfillment.
And today I want to begin exploring how we might turn the tables on boredom, frustration and meaningless.
Victor Frankl, author of "Man's Search for Meaning" has much to say on the subject, and given his story, I believe it's worth looking at more closely.
Love
Frankl suggests that one essential to a meaningful life is to experience love.
That likely doesn't seem like a foreign idea. You may just say, "Well duh. Of course love matters."
The pursuit of love is all around us; from pop culture to pop music.
From the Bachelorette to "rom-coms" (we actually have a category for love-themed movies) to pop music that highlights the desire for love and the pain of rejected love.
The idea of love is all around us.
But Frankl would argue that in order to experience meaning in our lives, we need to not only feel love through art, beauty and nature; it comes through connecting with another person. In other words, we need to be part of a loving community in some fashion...even if it's just with one or two other individuals.
From a faith perspective, you might agree with me that God is love. He's much more than love, but He is love. In fact, Jesus summarizes the entire Old Testament, after being asked what the greatest commandment was (and there were hundreds) by stating...
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ Matthew 22:37-39
We can say that love originates with God, commanded by God, and demonstrated by God and His Son Jesus, (the Easter story we recently celebrated) and then required of all those who would follow Him.
Words Are Cheap
When my wife Kathy tells me she loves me, I often respond with, "Yeah, yeah, but words are cheap." And we laugh and laugh...at least I do.
To be honest though, even if words of affection are not my "love language" it is important to express our love to those we really do, like our spouse, children grandchildren, or friends etc.
But love is proven with action.
Again Jesus said, ""Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends" John 15:13
Imagine having that kind of love in your life? Not just that someone would die for you, but that you would die for them.
Maybe meaning comes when we move past accumulation, personal advancement and satisfying every desire like Solomon, to experiencing and pursing real love.
And maybe loving others can only truly become a reality when we experience the love of God first?
John wrote, "We love Him because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19
God took the initiative didn't he? He made the first move. We couldn't earn it; there is nothing you and I can do to deserve God's love (In fact, I would say God loves us even though we're not lovable) but God's love is foundational to our ability to love anyone else, including God.
What if living a meaningful life then, starts by embracing God's love, and loving Him and loving other people.
How Can We Love God?
Obey and surrender our will to His
Love God's Word
Love God's people
Spend time with God in quiet reflection & prayer
Live our lives in such a way that we point others to Jesus and God's glory (character)
Love others as a response to the love we have received from God.
"Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other." 1 John 4:11
That sounds meaningful to me.
What do you think?
Until next time - Dan