Socratese on Spiritual Development

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” Socrates spoke these words to the jury in the court of Athens in the year 399 BCE (before the common era) after he had been found guilty of heresy and sedition. Heresy, a crime that threatened the established religion, and sedition, that threatened the state. (http://www.granpawayne.com/courses/EXAMLIFE.HTM)

Devotion to Truth:

Even after he has been convicted by the jury, Socrates declines to abandon his pursuit of the truth in all matters. Refusing to accept exile from Athens or a commitment to silence as his penalty, he maintains that public discussion of the great issues of life and virtue is a necessary part of any valuable human life. "The unexamined life is not worth living." (Apology 38a) Socrates would rather die than give up philosophy, and the jury seems happy to grant him that wish. (http://www.philosophypages.com/hy/2d.htm)

For as long as I can recall I have been an introspective person. I think through everything. I can't help but to consider not only what enters my mind through my senses but also the philosophies which make up the actions of others, the business models companies use, the problems that must have been solved by systems I observe, the self-esteem issues people may have based on their actions, etc. I also spend a decent amount of time in any given day considering eternity in light of my present circumstances.

I really believe that there is a season for everything. There are times when a person should just have as much fun as possible. There is also however a time when I believe it serves that same person well to take their thought-life several layers deep and be challenged by people who know better arguments. There are times when we should be quiet and do what we're told and there are times when we need to speak up regardless of the outcomes.

In life we can either take the tough road of figuring all of this out or we can try to avoid making our head hurt.

There are many things in life that get me scratching my head.

- Doing a job for the sake of a job with little to no connection to eternity doesn't make sense.
- Accepting beliefs without thinking them through doesn't make sense.
- Avoiding challenge for the sake of comfort doesn't make sense.
- Blaming my life on others or my past doesn't make sense to me.
- Believing lies about myself brought on by others who are insecure doesn't make sense.
- Ignoring logic just to hold my opinion doesn't make sense.
- Having to experience something in order to believe it doesn't make sense.

Anyway... Philosophers have excited me. Not just philosophers who sat around on their rump and talked a good game... but those who would follow through. Socrates was willing to die before he was willing to stop thinking. He was willing to die before he was willing to stop examining.

Every time I examine life I end up learning more about my Creator. I want to examine this life every opportunity I get because "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen."

Examining this life in light of God's glory to me is spiritual maturity. It's not about separating secular from sacred. It's about viewing secular through the lenses of the sacred.