I have spent time in academic philosophy forums analysing the most esoteric elements of various inconsequential theories of unimportant matters. It’s all very intelligent and it’s a good workout for the brain, but there were times when I stood back and wondered at the futility of it all. We pulled apart theories within theories and we moved so far away from anything that matters in real life that we may as well have been a bunch of hippies on some hallucinogenic trip. The only difference, it seemed to me, is that we were all awarded doctorates in the end. Perhaps I shouldn’t be so cynical; I did gain a lot in the process, but that was because God had a purpose for me there. And purpose is the key. I studied philosophy because I think it matters how we think. But what is the point of being a good thinker if you are unwilling to face reality? Either we are in step with God’s purpose or we are simply fooling ourselves thinking we are getting anywhere. I have played racing games on a PlayStation but I never actually believed I was going anywhere in those cars. It was just a game. It is possible for us to reduce the Christian life to playing language games with theological concepts and talking about words and definitions while the world goes on outside indifferent to the noise of our endless babble. We don’t actually get anywhere when we just think and talk about things. We have to actually do something that matters. Let your life matter.
How might your day become more purposeful?
Read Ecclesiastes 1:12-18
