TUESDAY

SCRIPTURE: Philippians 1:12-14

• What tough situations are you facing? How can you be an example of faith that encourages others?

In Man’s Search for Meaning, one of the most iconic pieces of literature from the 20th century, Viktor Frankl explores the concept of meaning. Frankl was tragically placed in a Jewish concentration camp during the Holocaust, and in his book he accounts horrific events that the Nazi soldiers inflicted on innocent Jewish lives. As he tells these stories, he reflects on the deeper meaning of it all.

Ultimately, Frankl concludes that there is meaning even in the most unjust, unspeakably cruel environments, like a Nazi concentration camp. Meaning, Frankl argues, comes from living for a greater purpose—living for something other than just yourself.

It’s impossible for me to truly understand the depth of Frankl’s misery and grief, though I certainly was moved when reading his story. Though I will probably never experience anything as traumatic as the Jews in 1939 Germany, I still was soberly inspired by the optimism and strength that Frankl demonstrated in penning the words he did in this autobiography.

I read this story as a calling to search for meaning in my own life, and to share my findings with others. Because when we share the meaning in our lives with others, it’s an encouragement to them! We need each other’s stories to make sense of the world, and we need each other to inspire and encourage.