04/18/2023
It’s no surprise that 91% of all US adults believe “the best way to find yourself is by looking within yourself.” 89% agree that “people should not criticize someone else’s life choices.” And 84% believe “the highest goal of life is to enjoy it as much as possible.” This according to a recent Barna Omni Poll.
I want you to think about how those three statistics tie together. If your highest goal is to enjoy life, and the best way to discover that is by looking within yourself, then, of course, you don’t want anybody criticizing your life choices. If each individual person is the highest authority in determining what is the best possible path to life’s enjoyment, then who are you to criticize their choices? Your truth has no authority over anyone’s else’s truth, because all truth comes from within, or so the argument goes.
In the same survey, 79% of all US adults agree that “people can believe whatever they want, as long as those beliefs don’t affect society.” How can beliefs not affect society? If I believe I am a 22-year-old Ninja warrior, my belief will affect society, beginning with my family, my work associates, and my friends. My belief will also affect all of the possible social interactions I would have in the future. My belief will affect how I integrate into society, and it ultimately will lead to socio-political decisions that will have to be made on how to address . . . me. Laws will be established. Other laws will be changed. All because I believe I am a 22-year-old Ninja warrior.
This witless example shows how witless our culture has become.
Beliefs do matter. Worldview matters. When our society removes our moorings from the concept of transcendent truth, we are all left to find our own truth, and if it’s not “out there,” we have to find it inside. What we find inside, however, is not very truthful; in fact, it can be downright deceptive. Experience and Scripture bear witness that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9, ESV).
This is not a call for us to go back to the “good-old days” when life was simpler, and the world seemed much smaller. We can’t go back; that ship has sailed. What we can do is move forward by loving well and living well. This is grace and truth. We uphold a belief in transcendent truth fully demonstrated in Jesus of Nazareth. We reaffirm our life’s aim is to glorify God and participate in bringing His Kingdom here as it is in heaven. And we model for others that life’s enjoyment comes when we stop being self-absorbed and become absorbed in the cause of Christ for the advancement of His love, healing and reconciliation.
Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13, ESV). That may not be very enjoyable, but it definitely will bring about abiding joy. And that, my friends, is the truth.
