Over the years I've met a lot of people who are confused about the meaning of life. Some feel as if they have no purpose, that they are just going through the motions, doing what everybody else does. This leaves them feeling empty. Others, typically in their 40s or older, have worked hard for many years in their careers and/or raising their children. But they get to a point when they say, “Is this all there is?” They too experience a level of emptiness. I even know millionaires who feel stuck on a treadmill, because they don't know what else they are supposed to do? Their lives are out of balance. Some are anxious or angry or sad. Others just try to stay busy. Most suppress feelings of loss or pointlessness.
A New Age Christian is someone who embraces the Word of God and follows the teachings of Jesus, while also looking for wisdom and understanding from sages, scholars and their normal fellow humans. Today, to help people who may be confused about life, purpose and fulfillment, I'm hopefully going to distill some basic philosophical principles into consumable form.
So what is the meaning or purpose of life?
For Christians, there are external and internal sources of meaning. The external, of course, is God. We derive meaning by pursuing a life that is pleasing to God. And as I've stated before, Jesus asked us to be “the salt of the earth,” engaging the world to make it a better place. But today, I want to talk about the internal sources of meaning and purpose. What can you do to feel balance in your life?
Before I tell you what to do, let me tell you why. The underlying meaning of life is to connect the self with the non-self. The self is you. The non-self is nature, other people and God. This connection to living things occurs through the expansion of the self.
The expansion of self occurs through the pursuit the three fundamentals of life: Pleasure, Virtue and Knowledge. All three must be pursued in order to achieve Harmony. Let me explain.
Pleasure
The pursuit of Pleasure brings enjoyment, happiness and satisfaction into our lives. Eating and drinking with friends, sex with our partner and playing sports are “animal” pursuits that give us physical and emotional pleasure (so easy, a caveman can do it). Listening to Mozart or going to the theater are higher level pleasures that enable us to expand ourselves, because we develop a broader appreciation of Mankind's creativity and expression. The point is, there is a wide spectrum of pleasure – from walking in nature or sitting in a hot tub to visiting museums or the ballet.
A big problem with society today is that too much of our lives are spent in pursuit of pleasure, which is called Hedonism. This lifestyle often creates an illusion of happiness and fulfillment. It's like when we're young, and we party with our friends every weekend, only to find out someday that some of them really aren't our friends. When the music stops, we are left with nothing.
Virtue
The pursuit of Virtue involves living with a high level of morality and ethics. But it's much more than just being moral and good. It is also the practice of serving others. Participating in church or charitable activities is the most common way to pursue virtue. You can find tremendous personal satisfaction when you help make someone elses life better. Serving others expands your worldview and transforms you in unexpected ways. If you were to go to Africa to help build a hospital or a school, you and your spirit will never be the same again.
The problem with pursuing only virtue and denying yourself pleasure, like a Puritan, can turn you into a legalistic, self-righteous, cranky pew-hugger. You begin to see the pleasures of things like moderate drinking, dancing and sex as sinful. And instead of connecting self with non-self, you disconnect and detach from the humanness of life.
Knowledge
The pursuit of Knowledge expands our minds. It leads to Wisdom, which enables us to achieve a deeper understanding of the world and the human condition, so to speak. We transcend our own consciousness. Knowledge is something we can all share. It gives us new ways to interact with each other, discussing information and ideas. We get together with others, pooling our knowledge to solve problems or make discoveries. There are an infinite number of things in the universe that we have an opportunity to better appreciate through the acquisition of knowledge.
The problem with focusing just on knowledge and not pleasure or virtue can turn you into a hermit. You get just as frustrated as someone who pursues just virtue. And you miss the opportunity to use your knowledge in the service of others or the betterment of the world.
Harmony
So, as discussed, there are three general pursuits that bring meaning, purpose and value to our lives. And while there is no specific formula, it is important to pursue all three in order to achieve Harmony. If we let one consume too much of our focus and time, we're not only in danger of becoming a hedonist, a puritan or a hermit, we are also missing out on the fullness of life. And that is what Jesus wanted for us (John 10:10).
It is up to each of us to decide the blend of Pleasure, Virtue and Knowledge that will bring us the most Harmony. And as you pursue these fundamentals, you will expand and transform yourself. Your life may grow to have much more than a single purpose. But remember, the underlying purpose is to connect the self with the non-self, to unite with nature, people and God.
