Few questions have followed humanity as persistently as “What is the meaning of life?” Most societies have tried to answer this question, as seen in the many religions and philosophies throughout the world. As Christians, we believe the meaning of life involves knowing, loving, and glorifying the one true God through Jesus Christ. However, many people are contemplating the meaning of life within a cultural framework that doesn’t just deny God’s relevance but assumes His nonexistence. Subsequently, the church must be willing to discern the times and speak into the culture accordingly.
Effective conversations begin by identifying some prominent secular philosophies. Humanism promotes the idea that people collectively assign meaning to life. The humanist believes that what is worthwhile is determined by human consensus rather than by God’s standard. In fact, the motto of the American Humanist Association is, “Good without a God.” Most humanists are not ignorant of the idea of God but are convinced that life can have meaning without acknowledging His existence.
One way to respond to humanism is not by condemning the person but by revealing the limits of its philosophy. History shows that humanity has often agreed on “meaningful” pursuits that later proved harmful. Societies have celebrated conquest, exploitation, and injustice, only for future generations to recognize them as moral failures. Even systems claiming to establish equality and human flourishing, such as the communist regimes of the twentieth century, led to widespread suffering, deprivation, and death. We have little reason to trust the moral reliability of human consensus. We need a standard that transcends the human collective.
Another secular view called existentialism says personal meaning is found through individual choices and self-defined identity. We’ve all heard the slogan, “Life is what you make of it.” The shortcoming of this view is that it places the burden of creating purpose on the individual while removing the standard for distinguishing a meaningful life from a destructive one. If meaning is self-created, then a life devoted to compassion would carry no greater value than a life devoted to cruelty. Both would simply reflect personal choice. Yet we instinctively recognize that cruelty is not merely a difference in preference but a corruption of the kind of life we are meant to live.
A truly meaningful life, then, can only be known in relation to a standard that both exists and endures beyond human desires. Theism provides this foundation in an eternal and unchanging God who is the measure of all things. Christianity further reveals that this God is loving, just, and relational. When Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” He was not presenting just one path to God among many. He was claiming that a personal relationship with the God who embodies all reality is the ultimate reason for our existence.
Overall, the secular views of humanism and existentialism are not just academic ideas. They are the cultural air our friends and neighbors breathe. People are searching for purpose in a world they are told is devoid of God, but as Christians we are called to speak truth into the culture with clarity and compassion. Our willingness to engage in these conversations helps prepare the ground where the seeds of the gospel can take root.
Reflection Questions
- Why do you think people are drawn to the idea of creating their own meaning in life?
- How might you respond to someone who says life can be “good without a God”?