The Greek noun philosophia[1] is a compound of philo, which means “love”[2] and sophia, which is defined as “wisdom.”[3] Hence, “philosophy” is a love of wisdom. The Apostle Paul taught us that Jesus Christ is our wisdom from God (1 Cor. 1:30). Jesus is our example of how to live with wisdom. Webster’s New World College Dictionary defines wisdom as “the quality of being wise; the power of judging rightly and following the soundest course of action, based on knowledge, experience, and understanding.”[4] Wisdom is the ability to make good and sound judgments and decisions. We should seek wisdom from God (Jas. 1:5; 3:17). The Apostle Paul also taught that in Jesus Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3). Jesus is “the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:24).
In Jesus Christ, we have forgiveness and access to God, and of course, we Christians are promised that we will go to Heaven after we die (2 Cor. 5:1-8). Many Christians seem to focus primarily on this great truth; however, the idea of salvation includes more than “going to Heaven” after we die. The idea of salvation also includes the experience of living more and more in fellowship with God. Salvation is a continuum, an experiential and spiritual place of refuge and blessing (2 Cor. 7:10; Phil. 2:12; 1 Tim. 4:16; 2 Tim. 3:15; Heb. 2.3; 1 Peter 1:9).[5]
It is important that we first understand that the Kingdom of God is a spiritual place of “righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 14:17). Life in the Kingdom of God is a spiritual place under God’s authority. It is a place where we, more and more, experience “righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
At 2 Timothy 3:14-17, Paul wrote to Timothy the following:
You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.
(Emphasis added.)
Please note that we Christians learn wisdom from Scripture (both the Old and New Testaments). This wisdom leads us to, more and more, experience salvation, which is a life of “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17). The Word of God teaches us, rebukes us, corrects us, and trains us in how to live righteously so that we might be fully capable and prepared for every good work. The works that we do should be the works that God directs us to do. Our works should proceed from our faith. Before we do a work, we should believe that God is directing and guiding us to do a particular thing or speak certain words.
Starting with this lesson, we are going to study about the characteristics of the Christian Philosophy of Life. First, it should be noted that Jesus taught us to focus on living one day at a time. Jesus taught, “do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matt. 6:34). We cannot solve tomorrow’s problems with anxiousness and overthinking. Each day has its own unique responsibilities and duties. Yes, today, we sometimes pay yesterday’s bills, and sometimes, we must prepare for tomorrow or beyond. Of course, God directs us to be good stewards of all He gifts us and puts in our care, so we cannot shirk responsibility. But we are primarily required to live life one day at a time. We cannot control things that only God can control, manage, or solve.
A 2017 Harvard study found that people spend just under 50% of their time thinking about something other than what they are actually doing.[6] Of course, to some degree, we all, from time to time, think or meditate on things beyond what we are actually doing. For example, we often meditate while driving our car on an open interstate highway. However, sometimes, “overthinking” can become a problem. A Psychology Today article suggests that over 70% of adults report frequently overthinking. Reportedly, women overthink more than men.[7]
At Matthew 6:11, Jesus encouraged us to live day by day, and He taught us to ask our Heavenly Father to “Give us this day our daily bread.” At Lamentations 3:22-24, we read:
The Lord’s acts of mercy indeed do not end, for His compassions do not fail. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore, I wait for Him.”
Finally, at Psalm 118:24, we read, “This is the day which the Lord has made; Let’s rejoice and be glad in it.”
Therefore, in summary, the Christian Philosophy of Life is focused on living one day at a time. Every day we should focus on doing God’s will in accordance with our day-to-day responsibilities and circumstances. We should seek to walk by the Spirit and Word. We should seek God’s direction and guidance as to our words and actions. We should seek to live in fellowship with God.
[1] “Define philosophy” prompt. ChatGPT, GPT-4, Open AI, 17 July 2025, chat.openai.com/chat. Also, “G5385 – philosophia – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 18 Jul, 2025. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5385/kjv/tr/0-1/>.
[2] “Define philosophy” prompt. ChatGPT, GPT-4, Open AI, 17 July 2025, chat.openai.com/chat. Also, Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of philo-.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/philo-. Accessed 18 July, 2025.
[3] “Define philosophy” prompt. ChatGPT, GPT-4, Open AI, 17 July 2025, chat.openai.com/chat. Also, “G4678 – sophia – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (nasb20).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 17 Jul, 2025. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4678/nasb20/mgnt/0-1/>.
[4] “Wisdom,” Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 3rd Ed., Editor-in-Chief, Victoria Neufeldt, Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1996.
[5] Smith, T. Kenan. “Salvation is a Continuum.” Eyes to See The Revelation & The Kingdom of God. 6 Apr 2020, https://eyestoseetherevelation.com/salvation-is-a-continuum/.
[6] “What percentage of people are inclined to overthinking?” prompt. ChatGPT, GPT-4, Open AI, 17 July 2025, chat.openai.com/chat (citing Harvard Gazette, November 10, 2010; citing, Psychology Today, January 3, 2024; citing, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 2013, Vol. 122, Issue 1, pp. 64-73.).
[7] Ibid.
