What informs your philosophy of life? That is to say, why do you get out of bed in the morning? What gives your life meaning? What drives you to do what you do?
Most people spend their lives on distractions. Look at the outburst of social media in the past 10 years. People are desperately trying to get more friends on Facebook, rack up their number of followers on Twitter and see how many likes they can get on Instagram.
Look at the amount of television watching Americans distract themselves with. The average American watches five hours of television per day. That’s about 76 days out of the year of watching television 24 hours straight! Think about all the good things that could have been done with this time.
So what informs your philosophy of life? Is it getting more Twitter followers or watching the latest episode of the newest show on TV? I sure hope not.
Individual self-esteem is now determined by how many people follow you on social media and how many likes you get. But self-esteem should be based on the undisputed truth that we’re created in the image of God. The Scriptures should inform your philosophy of life. Knowledge of the Scriptures reveal the character of God, the difference between right and wrong and an understanding of the purpose of life.
The Scriptures give you a set of values, and those values ultimately guide your thinking and living. The values given to us by the Scriptures guide your sense of purpose. Most people spend their lives on distractions and never reach their goals and objectives. Why? Because they don’t have a sense of purpose. Purpose is your raison d’etre, French for “your reason for being.”
When you have a set of values and a sense of purpose, your life is more direct. You stop majoring on minors. Your values are what you prioritize and consider most important. You spend your time on what matters and significantly progresses and moves your life toward moral and human achievement. Unfortunately, most people spend their lives on distractions instead.
In John 10, Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” We were not created to sit around and distract our lives away. Jesus came to this Earth to save us and show us how we can live life abundantly through him.
God has created us with purpose and value. He created us in his image to spend our lives enjoying his creation and developing a personal relationship with him. He has given each one of us specific gifts and talents that he wants us to use to make the world better.
Out of love for God and knowledge of his word comes our sense of responsibility to reform society. We have been called by God to wisely steward his creation, but how can we effectively do this if we are distracted by useless things the world offers? The world needs to hear that God loves them. He has created individuals in his image for unique purposes.
I implore my readers to hear this message, study the Scriptures and lead lives of conviction and purpose without distractions. This is indeed the best way to live life.
Armstrong Williams is on Sirius/XM Power 110, 6-7 p.m. and 4-5 a.m. Monday through Friday and S.C. WGCV 4-5 p.m. Become a fan on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.