Have you ever asked yourself the three key questions that confront the mystery of your existence? The major questions philosophy students usually dig into. Like:
- Who am I?
- Why am I here?
- What’s the meaning of life
Worldview
How you answer those questions depends upon your worldview, the lens through which you look to answer life’s big questions, make life decisions, and respond to socio-political issues. Worldview is your particular philosophy of life.
Your worldview is the template upon which you live your life.
Why ask those questions?
Asking those questions and grinding out the answers to them helps you focus on how you view life and function in it. If you’re secure in your answers, you have a firm template upon which to live your life well, live it balanced, and live it intentionally.
Surprisingly, though, most people cannot tell you what they believe, and their beliefs may waffle every day. Because they’re not firm in their beliefs and understanding of them, they vacillate. As my husband, the engineer, likes to say (with flowing, side-to-side arm movements to punctuate his statement), they flow back and forth like sea kelp—whatever direction the water or tide happens to be going, they follow.
It’s not a particularly pleasant or effective way to live life, following the crowd or most popular view. Living life that way gets frustrating and exhausting.
The deadly question
But then we encounter a tougher question: Why do you believe what you believe?
Even fewer people can answer that question and stumble all over their answer. Their “why” may be that they read it in some new book, or they’ve acquired someone else’s opinion about life and claimed it as their own. Or they’ve assembled such a hodge podge of ideas they end up with something akin to a worldview smorgasbord.
Answering the big questions
Let’s take a brief look at how you might initially answer the philosophical questions.
Who am I?
This really goes beyond the idea of “finding yourself,” which often doesn’t give you a firm, useful answer you can do anything constructive with. People trying to “find themselves” are usually floating around, trying and tasting everything life has to offer. While they might enjoy something for a time, they usually get bored and move onto something else. They have life Attention Deficit Disorder.
Maybe you answer it by saying: I’m a daughter or son, a sister or brother, a wife or husband, a mother or father. Or you could qualify your training or profession and answer: I’m a teacher, doctor, or housekeeper. Or choose the physical aspects of your life by noting you’re an invalid or athlete. And you could claim several of those identities simultaneously. With each identity comes different expectations and responsibilities.
Why am I here?
Sadly, many people have difficulty answering the Why because they think they’ve been arbitrarily plunked down on earth at this time in history, rather than being fearfully, wonderfully, and deliberately made for this particular time. Knowing and believing there is a point to your life will be the foundation for life having the meaning you desire it to have.
What is the meaning of life?
Your answer might go all different directions. But let’s take the example of the writers of the Westminster Catechism, who wrestled with this way back in the year A.D. 1647. Because they had a distinctive Christian worldview, they reworded the question as “What is the chief end of man?” which sort of rolls all three questions into one. And the answer they arrived at?
“To know God and enjoy Him forever.”
A six-word sentence packed with meaning and purpose. If we unpack it, we get more questions.
But we’re not going to unpack it today. Before we unpack it, we need to become philosophy—and archeology—students. We need to get an overview of all of life’s major world views (philosophies) and see where we fit into them. Then we need to dig in further to establish our beliefs. To further build a strong, balanced life foundation.
For the week
I invite you to spend some time meditating on those questions this week. How would you answer them? And why would you answer them the way you do? And if you feel like sharing, I’d love to know what your answers are! Just head over to the “Blog” page and leave a comment.
Next week Monday we’ll embark on Worldview 101. I promise it won’t be dry and boring!
Thanks for joining me for this Meditation Monday. I hope to see you Wednesday for the health and fitness post!
Blessings,
Andrea
May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).
Photo © 2018 Andrea A Owan