Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl
Essay by Donald Miller
In 1942, psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, along with his parents and pregnant wife, were taken by Nazi soldiers into the concentration camps, where his family would eventually be killed. Frankl survived the camps, including Auschwitz, and in the most dire of human circumstances realized a personality theory involving man’s need for meaning—a theory that would contend with Sigmund Freud, who was alive at the time and positing that man’s primary desire was not for meaning but for pleasure.
Tested in the concentration camps, Frankl realized no amount of torture could keep a person from living a fulfilling life, if only they had three elements working for them: a project in which they could contribute, a person to love, and a worthy explanation for their suffering.
His finding interestingly mirrors the Teacher’s search for meaning captured in Ecclesiastes. The Teacher argued that one should find enjoyment in his work and in his wife, that one should fear God, and that while, technically, meaning is hard to prove, experientially it is possible within this framework.
Frankl rightly argues meaning is experiential, and his three elements provide a recipe, if you will, to experience that meaning. His emphasis on worthwhile suffering stands in contrast to an American culture obsessed with comfort. One might say our lack of suffering fuels a cycle of meaninglessness.
What makes Frankl’s argument so important for the church is its invitation to suffer for the sake of the gospel, indeed, to suffer for something worthwhile, thus providing a sense of meaning to life. Christian leaders, then, should not try to make their congregants more comfortable, but call them into challenges that, by necessity, involve discomfort and even suffering if they are going to shepherd their congregants into more meaningful lives.
Frankl’s book is no more religious than the Teacher’s essay on meaning, and yet both have a masterful religious subtext, delving into the complex nature of fallen man, resistant against exposition at odds with their intended purposes.
Frankl’s book has now sold more than twelve million copies and is considered one of the ten most influential books in America. He died in 1997.
Here’s what I’ve learned, write a message like last Wednesday’s devotion and two things will happen. A LOT of people will relate and respond. And you will also quickly encounter some unexpected opportunities to put what you say into practice.
I’ve also learned sometimes God’s peace is just there when you need it – you don’t even have to ask for it. Other times, asking is necessary – but then it floods in like a river. And occasionally, you have to ask and keep on asking. I don’t think that’s because God is hesitant to supply it, but because we are hesitant to trust it, to fully trust Him with the situation. Especially when we can’t see Him at work.
The winner of the book It’s No Secret from Don’t Overthink is commenter #50. HD email me your address and I’ll get the book out to you.
Here are your random numbers:
50 Timestamp: 2010-12-06 21:33:12 UTC
But I prayed for each and every one of you that left a comment or request.
So take comfort in the fact that God is on the scene.
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| Me with a young boy in Quito, Ecuador |
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| me & a sweet Ecuadorian girl |
During the month of November, thousands of writers will work toward the goal of completing a 50,000-word novel. The ideal participant has been described by NaNoWriMo organizers as anyone "who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved."
The idea is that the short deadline actually makes the task more manageable. The "kamikaze approach" is supposed to force participants to "lower ... expectations, take risks, and write on the fly."
NaNoWriMo was launched in 1999 by founder Chris Baty and his friends. That year 21 people gave it a try and six completed novel-length manuscripts. Last year, 167,150 writers participated worldwide, with 32,178 achieving their goal. Sound insane to you? Or like a dream come true?
Well here are Five Reasons Why You Should Consider Participating according to book editor Marjorie Kehe of the Christian Science Monitor.
1. If you think about the goal as 1,667 words a day, it doesn't seem quite as daunting. And 50,000 words is more or less a perfect length for a short novel: longer than a novella (defined as 40,000 words or under) but long enough to more or less measure up to "The Great Gatsby" (about 197 pages).
2. Officially participating in NaNoWriMo means that you will be working as part of a global community. More than 175,000 writers across the planet are expected to participate this year, all linked together by the NaNoWriMo website. In some cities, NaNoWriMo participants will even meet up in groups.
3. There is a huge celebration planned at the end.
4. It must be fun or people wouldn't keep doing this. Last year NaNoWriMo organizers estimated that more than 60 percent of the writers registered were repeat participants. "Making big, messy art is a fun, reviving experience, and once you've done it once, you tend to want to do it every year," Baty told Writer's Digest.
5. We all have a novel hiding in us somewhere. Will there ever be a better time to set yours free?
So go ahead and give it a try. If you’ve always wanted to write a novel, what are you waiting for? Be an artist this month! Enjoy the messy, creative process. Then, after the holidays, you can go back to prune or polish what you wrote. Or maybe you can have your book bound by Kinko’s and give it to friends and family for Christmas (along with a nice gift card perhaps).
To officially participate, you'll need to register with NaNoWriMo. Their free software will track your progress. I’m thinking of hopping aboard with my non-fiction book. Not quite the same, but I may join in anyway. This is geared for mid-length novel writers but you could join in writing anything – a young adult novella, a children’s book …
So what will you write about this month?
I have a devotion running today with Proverbs 31 Ministries called Joining the Geek Squad. It’s about Daniel becoming a part of the Babylonian king’s pack of advisors. And how the wisdom of God preserved him there when things got dicey.
You should know I don’t consider the term “geek” derogatory. Note, I married a professor. And I’m just as likely to read a research article in an academic journal as I am to read Better Homes and Gardens. I’ve even been known to read Matthew Henry’s Commentary poolside.
Poke around this website and you’ll find I refer to myself as “a word geek who has fallen in love with the Word Made Flesh.” After all, He is the source of all grace and wisdom. And the amazing thing is, He’s willing to share it with us!
I’m sometimes asked why I wrote my new book It’s No Secret: Revealing Divine Truths Every Woman Should Know, and that’s the reason. More specifically, Jesus’ comment to His followers in Matthew 13:11 propelled me. He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you.” I was captivated by the notion that God was willing to share His secrets with me. So I set out to discover what they are.
These God-sized secrets contain the keys we are looking for—answers to the issues of modern life, such as exhausting schedules, unpaid bills, relational conflicts, and unmet expectations. So I selected twelve of them I felt were particularly pertinent to women today and wrote the book. I would’ve included more secrets but the other moms assured me they don’t like toting around 3 lb. books.
The truth is, the secrets contained in the pages of my book are nothing new or hidden at all. They’ve all been wrapped within the Word of God and the person of Christ for thousands of years, readily accessible through the ages. But each generation of women must encounter and apply these truths for themselves.
As we do, we not only uncover the uncommon wisdom of God, but we also uncover our truest selves.
**So here’s your chance to snag a copy of the book and find out the secrets. My publisher David C. Cook is giving away a copy of It’s No Secret today on their Facebook page. All you have to do is follow this link and once there, post to complete the sentence: My favorite place to read is ______________ .
I think you know where I like to read.
We’ve been talking about two of my favorite things this week on the blog: Great Friends and Good Sleep! Deep thanks to each of you that participated in the devotional carnival. It’s such a pleasure to visit your blogs and read your posts and get to know you, I’ll post the winner of the prayer journal at the end of this post.
In January I wrote a post about food writer Mark Bittman’s NY kitchen. I was surprised at how small and modest it was. Then I did a follow up post with multiple pics of small kitchens showing small can be fabulous. That post still gets multiple hit every single week!
So in similar fashion, I thought I’d ask you which of these beautiful, relaxing bedrooms is more your style? Tell us which one of these you’d most want to rest in. And if you’ve been decluttering your BDR as I suggested this week, or thinking about sprucing it up, maybe you’ll get some inspiration here.
I like so many of these – I want to spend a couple nights in each! But the first one and the last one are closest to my bedroom style. My BDR is not quite as shabby-chic rustic as the first and not quite as modern minimalist as the last. But like these two, I like a warm mostly neutral color scheme and lots of textures on my bed, windows and floor … with a hint of romantic glamour. Which of these rooms caught your eye?
The winner of this month’s devotional carnival prize, according to random.org’s true random number generator, is participant #18. That’s Kelli Zaniel based on Mr. Linky’s list. Congrats, Kelli – send me your address and I’ll mail you the prayer journal.
