Those who believe in God and trust Christ as their Savior are not guaranteed exemption from trouble and discouragement. In fact our Lord Jesus who overcame the world and offered good cheer also assured us that we would deal with difficulty… “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NLT) Those words spoken by Christ offer a realistic view of life here on earth. They also offer hope beyond the troubles we face here below. That hope is found in Christ, and founded on His victory over the ultimate tribulation, death itself.
Recognizing the reality of life’s difficulties at one time or another for all of us leaves each of us with an option. Do we find hope and help through our faith in Christ or do we go it alone? Existentialism is a philosophical movement that sees each person as a self-determining individual. They assign their own meaning to life, attempting to make wise, rational choices in an irrational world. Without belief in a God who orders life, they are left with the option of going it alone.
For the believer there is the option of faith. Our faith does not answer all the questions. There is misery and injustice in this world. Not all of our supposed wise decisions produce the outcomes we had hoped. Faith requires an eternal perspective. The Bible says that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen: (Hebrews 11:1 NKJV) It seems clear that the writer ultimately has eternity in mind.
Solomon wrestled with the complexity of such issues in the book of Ecclesiastes. He worked through what he often called the vanity of life. He concluded that his option would be to trust God. “That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 NLT)
– Terry Morrison