Socrates famously said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” For him, wisdom began with inward reflection: questioning motives, testing assumptions, and admitting ignorance. To live well meant refusing to drift aimlessly. The purpose of life was found in the search for truth. For a philosopher, sitting around and examining one’s life (and the greater meaning of life in general) is fascinating; for the rest of us, it’s exhausting. Most of our time is spent living life, not pondering it. Of course, this meditation is an exception!
Still, there’s wisdom in what Socrates said. A life without reflection easily becomes shallow. We were created to find fulfillment in purpose, and God has a plan for each of us. But if Socrates draws us inward for answers, Scripture pushes us outward toward God. The psalmist prays,
“Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23–24)
David recognizes what Socrates failed to see: our self-examination is limited. We can ask questions of ourselves, but only God sees to the bottom of the soul. We have blind spots. We excuse ourselves too easily in some areas and judge ourselves too harshly in others. Our hearts are restless and conflicted.
Socrates taught that truth comes by asking the right questions. David reminds us that truth comes by opening ourselves to God’s searching gaze. As the early Christian philosopher and theologian Augustine said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find rest in you.” The inward examined life is valuable but limited. The outward surrendered life is transformative, especially when God is the source of transformation.
When we pray, “Search me, O God,” we’re inviting divine wisdom to do what our human wisdom can’t. God reveals both the hidden sins we’ve ignored and the hidden graces we’ve forgotten. He sees the anxious thoughts that weigh us down, the motives that quietly shape our actions, and the desires that pull us in different directions. And instead of leaving us there, God leads us “in the way everlasting.”
The examined life shows us our need. The surrendered life shows us our hope.
Prayer: Lord, I confess that my own self-examination is often shallow and self-serving. I see what I want to see, and I overlook what I fear. Today, I open my life before you. Search me. Know me. Lead me. May my life be more than examined—may it be surrendered to your transforming grace and find rest in your amazing love. Amen.
