When God is denied life loses its meaning

TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

In every generation, humanity wrestles with the question of God’s existence. Some insist that belief in God is unnecessary, while others maintain that without Him, life itself loses coherence. I say that when God is removed from human thought, confusion soon follows and morality becomes uncertain.

Friedrich Nietzsche once declared, “God is dead.” He did not mean that God had literally died, but that society had chosen to live as if He did not exist. Nietzsche warned that when humanity erases God, it also erases the foundation that gives life direction. Without belief in something higher, he said, people lose any sense of what is truly good or evil. His words, though meant as observation, in a way became prophecy: Where God is denied, despair and moral confusion soon take root.

When people claim that evil exists, they assume the existence of good. But to recognize good and evil, there must be a moral standard. How do you know the difference? Without God, that standard disappears. Morality becomes a matter of opinion, shifting with emotion or culture. What one person praises, another condemns; and without a higher authority, neither can claim to be right. Even the most honest atheist struggles to explain why anyone “ought” to do good if there is no eternal reason to prefer it. The reality of evil itself points toward a moral lawgiver beyond humanity. Atheism offers no empirical evidence upon which to judge good or evil.

If life has no Creator, it must be the result of chance; that is, matter moving randomly until, somehow, consciousness appeared. Some find this idea freeing, calling it “liberating” to think there is no divine plan. Yet liberation without purpose is emptiness. How can meaning arise from accident? If all we are is the product of blind forces, then love, justice, and beauty are illusions created by chemicals in our brains. But deep down, every human heart knows that meaning cannot be invented out of nothing. The longing for purpose, the desire to live for something greater, points to the existence of something greater.

Without God, even hope begins to vanish. People suffer losses and tragedies that reason alone cannot comfort. I read a web post once that described a man in Iraq who said that before help came, his people lived in constant pain; afterward, they still had pain, “but now we have pain with some hope.” Hope gives life strength to endure suffering, to believe that tomorrow holds something more. When God is removed, nothing guarantees that justice or peace will ever come.

The very existence of the universe also points to a Creator. Everything that exists depends on something else for its being. The chain of causes cannot stretch back forever; there must be one eternal cause that depends on nothing. That uncaused being is God. The order and precision of nature further reveal design: the balance of physical laws, the complexity of DNA, the harmony of systems that make life possible. Chance cannot explain such intricacy any more than an explosion could produce a symphony.

But the question is not only whether God exists, it is whether He has made Himself known. The Christian faith declares that God entered history through Jesus Christ. In Him, the deepest needs of the human heart are met: truth, forgiveness, and love. At the cross, justice and mercy meet; through the resurrection, life triumphs over death. Christ revealed that the God who made the universe is not distant, but personal. And He is one who knows, loves, and redeems.

Human beings are not machines. We think, feel, and long for eternity because we bear the image of a personal God. Without Him, life is a sequence of causes without meaning; with Him, every moment gains eternal worth. The world without God is a silent void; the world with God is alive with meaning.

for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His descendants.’

Acts 17:28

Living with a Clear Purpose

CONNIE WILLIAMS

A well-defined purpose brings clarity to every decision we make. If a business’s goal is to always have the lowest price, then every choice would be measured against that purpose. If something did not help the company stay the lowest-priced company, it would be rejected.

The same principle applies to every area of life, especially our spiritual lives. A clear sense of purpose gives direction and stability, just as light cuts through darkness. The Bible teaches that followers of Christ are engaged in a spiritual battle, not against people, but against evil forces that seek to destroy faith and purpose. In Ephesians 6, Paul describes six spiritual tools that help believers stand strong. One of them is “having your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” Like sturdy shoes for a soldier, this readiness helps believers stand firm and move forward with confidence.

In Paul’s time, Roman soldiers wore thick boots with metal studs on the soles. These gave them firm footing during battle and protected them from sharp objects hidden on the ground. Paul used this image to show that Christians need spiritual stability too. Our “boots” are not made of leather. They are made of a willingness to share the good news of Jesus Christ. This readiness to share the gospel strengthens us and keeps us steady when life becomes difficult.

Paul’s teaching in Ephesians connects directly to Isaiah 52:7, which speaks of those who bring good news: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings.” The same verse appears again in Romans 10, where Paul reminds believers that people cannot believe in Jesus unless someone tells them about Him. Sharing the message of salvation is not the job of pastors alone. It is the responsibility of every believer. Our readiness to share Christ’s peace is both a weapon in spiritual warfare and a core part of our purpose on earth.

Every person was created by God for a reason. Many people, both religious and non-religious, sense that life must have meaning, yet they search endlessly for what it is. The Bible says we are not accidents or products of chance. God told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” God had a plan for Jeremiah before his birth and He has a plan for each of us too. Every life is intentional, designed by God for a purpose.

That purpose is not simply to live comfortably or to achieve personal goals. Our purpose is to take part in God’s plan and to help others come to know Him. God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” He is patient, “not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.” Jesus Himself said, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” If that is God’s purpose, then our purpose must be to help fulfill it.

God’s work often involves partnership. While He could act alone, He chooses to work through people. He told Noah to build an ark, Nehemiah to rebuild the wall, and the disciples to spread the gospel. Before returning to heaven, Jesus told His followers, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” The central mission for every believer is to share the good news with others wherever they are.

Sadly, some Christians make careful plans for their careers, families, and finances but give little thought to God’s mission. Yet this is the very reason we remain on earth. Just as a soldier focuses on completing his commander’s orders, followers of Christ are called to expand God’s kingdom and free those trapped in spiritual darkness. This calling is not a burden but a source of true fulfillment.

People often look for meaning in work, success, pleasure, or wealth, but these things cannot fill the emptiness inside. Many who seem to “have it all” still feel deeply unsatisfied. The writer of Ecclesiastes learned that achievements and possessions bring only temporary joy. Lasting fulfillment comes only through knowing God and living out His purpose.

When we live for God’s purpose, we find the meaning and stability our hearts long for. Sharing His message gives us direction, strengthens our faith, and protects us from the enemy’s attempts to distract and discourage us. Our lives gain eternal value when we dedicate ourselves to the mission God has given: To bring His peace to others.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10