Meaning

When you're old enough (probably at least sixteen), I recommend that you read the book, Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl. In the first part of the book, Frankl documents some of his experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. As you can imagine, this book is a heavy read, but his intent is an optimistic one.

Frankl and his fellow prisoners were ripped from their homes and lands, stuffed into railcars like garbage, shipped to death camps, stripped of their clothes, their possessions, their names, and their dignity. They watched their spouse, children, and other loved-ones wrenched from their side and marched off to certain death. They themselves suffered tremendously: cold, starvation, overwork, disease, cruelty. Understandably, many of the prisoners lost hope and even their morality - becoming selfish and mean. Some even cooperated with the Nazis, in a move of self-preservation. These "Kapos" were well-fed, well-clothed, and better-treated in return for betraying their own people and for doing much of the Nazi dirty-work. They were also frequently the most sadistic in the camps.

Frankl noted that sometimes even the optimistic ones suddenly turned off a hope-switch. When that happened - when they lost purpose - they never lasted much longer.

But Frankl found another group that never lost hope. In spite of the same loss and suffering, these prisoners maintained an inner drive and freedom. The Nazis had full power over their life and death, suffering and comfort but could never reach the heart, mind, or soul. Each prisoner had to voluntarily yield those things.

Frankl said that the difference between these two groups of prisoners was meaning. The first group lost it when the Nazis stole their earthly possessions.

But, as the Bible points out, our earthly possessions will inevitably be taken from all of us.

"For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return."

Ecclesiastes 3:19–20

Everything earthly is transitory. That’s true. And unless something continues past death, everything is meaningless.

This type of outlook on life is called nihilism. It's not inaccurate. As the author of Ecclesiastes points out, if death is truly the end then nothing really matters. Not your possessions. Not your health. Not your family. There's not even a universal morality - no good and no evil.

For most people, this is a distressing thought! It leads some — who aren’t doing well at life — to lash out at the world in sudden, senseless violence.

I have a friend who claims to be a nihilist and says that the philosophy is comforting and motivating. He says that it drives him to take advantage of the little time that he has on this earth and to find “meaning” in his family, friends, and pastimes.

The Bible addresses this way of thinking:

"And behold, joy and gladness, killing oxen and slaughtering sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine. 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.'"

Isaiah 22:13

…and Jesus condemned it:

"But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."

(Luke 12:20–21)

I’m being a little unfair to my friend. He isn’t selfishly eating and drinking and being merry. He has found a type of “meaning” beyond himself (though it is ephemeral).

There are definitely worse philosophies for life, but I think he is in a tenuous situation because he hasn’t fully addressed his situation. Nihilism is correct to recognize that meaning can’t possibly be found in the meaningless — if everything eventually turns into dust. In other words, the meaning he has found actually has no more value than a single-celled organism, or a speck of dust, or a single atom that makes part of the speck of dust.

Everything is actually nothing. So, nothing matters.

I'm sure that the second group of prisoners in the concentration camps suffered just as much as the others, but their purpose and their meaning remained. Their treasure couldn’t be destroyed because it was inside their hearts and minds.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Matthew 6:19–21

What is Jesus talking about? What is this treasure?

I think he's talking about what's most important to you - it's what gets you up in the morning. It's what you want most and what you think about most. It's what you work towards the most.

If your treasure isn't something that lasts beyond this life - then you will lose it. If your purpose and your meaning resides in the things of this life, then you have placed your purpose on the wrong things. You've probably heard the saying, "You can't take it with you." It's true. There's nothing in this life that you will bring with you past the grave - except for those things that continue to exist past the grave - your relationship with God and relationships with people you love.

"And he said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.'"

Job 1:21

That verse comes from a book in the Old Testament called Job. He lost everything. He was once rich but all of his possessions were destroyed. His family was all killed except for his wife who left him and cursed him. He then lost his health. At first, he was angry with God and wished to die, but he changed. Let’s read Job 1:21 again to hear how he ultimately reacted:

"The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."

Job 1:21

Job rediscovered that his treasure isn't of this earth but resides in heaven. He realized that he didn't lose his meaning, so his attitude changed, and he blessed God.

I used to think that the story of Job was unique - that no one except for Job, Jesus and a few others could suffer like that and keep their treasure. But as Frankl observed, it wasn't so unusual to find prisoners who had retained their meaning and optimism even after losing everything.

How do you build your treasure on things that will endure?

…seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Colossians 3:1–2

As these verses say:

• Your mind: spend time each day thinking about Jesus. This means daily, sincere prayer. It means that you study His word in the Bible. It means that you write about your thoughts about Jesus - even if those thoughts are doubtful at first.
• Your actions: Paul says that you should "seek things that are above". This means that the things that you do and say reflect someone who is following Jesus. As Pastor David frequently says, you should both abide with and walk with Jesus.

"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

Matthew 7:24–27

God is the only solid foundation. Everything else will eventually be lost and destroyed. You can't build that foundation in a day but it doesn't have to take long either! Get started today. Commit to spending daily time with God in prayer and study and thought and action. Make sure that He is the most important thing in your life and you will have true meaning that will last the storms of life.