Have you ever worried that you will not live up to your full potential? Have you ever thought about how meaningless it all is? Why life is hard? In times of doubt and uncertainty, particularly in moments when you’re feeling low, the weight of these existential questions overwhelms you, leaving you to perceive that God is absent or distant from you.
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher. “Vanity of vanities! All [that is done without God’s guidance] is vanity [futile, meaningless—a wisp of smoke, a vapor that vanishes, merely chasing the wind].” Ecclesiastes 1:2 AMP
In challenging times, it sometimes feels like God is missing from our lives. Without him, there is a sense of emptiness. No matter how much you strive for success, significance, or pleasure, there is still a sense of hollowness, as we are disillusioned by the fact that our careers, accumulated wealth, or indulgences will satisfy our deepest longings.
But as the author of Ecclesiates proclaims, it’s all vanity! A life devoid of divine purpose is vanity. This struggle with meaninglessness is not uncommon, even among those who profess faith. You are not alone in your struggle with finding purpose, nor are you alone when it comes to wrestling with doubt.
I love reading the book of Ecclesiastes because it highlights the universal angst many of us experience when we pursue a life that promises happiness but delivers temporary satisfaction. If you’re like me, you’ve probably found yourself trapped in cycles of work, consumption, and pleasure-seeking. We have all searched for meaning, often in the wrong places.
The Weight of Life’s Challenges
The burdens of illness, loss, financial strain, or relational conflict can strain our faith and test our resolve. You’ve probably experienced those moments when you think God is silent or indifferent to your plight. I know you’ve probably endured those moments in silence.
“Why, LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” Psalms 10:1 NIV
Suffering without the tangible presence of God may cause you to question His goodness or His sovereignty over all. This is a rather arrogant way to approach God during life’s trials. And while our despair can cause us to lash out against Him, God still desires for us to experience his presence and purpose in our lives.
Confronting deep-rooted insecurities, emotional suppression, societal pressure, and the pain of loss or rejection as a Christian isn’t easy. The emptiness you feel is an invitation to realign your heart with God and rekindle your relationship with Him.
Life is hard because of crippling insecurities, self-doubt and a distorted self-image. Life is hard because we constantly have to hide our emotions and suppress our vulnerability, which causes emotional turmoil and affects our mental well-being. Life is hard because, time and again, we have to deal with superficial relationships that breed distrust and isolation.
Fear of failure paralyzes us, partiality and injustices anger us, an unhealthy emphasis is placed on physical beauty and never on Christ-like qualities, constant comparison propagates discontentment and steals joy, and death or separation can cause profound grief.
Life’s difficulties can seem insurmountable, but as Christians, we have hope and access to divine wisdom and comfort through a relationship with Jesus Christ. You may experience these things, but God has a word for all of it if you would just take a moment to sit with Him and get to know Him.
You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:14). You can trust in Him at all times and pour out your heart to Him (Psalms 62:8). You must love sincerely (Romans 12:9). You can do all things through Christ, who gives you strength (Philippians 4:13).
The growth mindset comes from simply leaning on God’s strength and wisdom. God requires us to act justly, love mercifully, and walk humbly (Micah 6:8). His says that your beauty should not come from outward adornment but from a gentle, quiet spirit within (1 Peter 3:3–4).
The Bible warns against comparing ourselves to others. It says, “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone without comparing themselves to someone else.” Galatians 6:4 NIV. True healing is found in God. Not in the self-proclaimed practices of this world. None of these gurus or their methods can set you free.
Psalms 34:18 NCV promises, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” All I’m trying to say to you is that God alone is the source. God alone is the solution.
How Do You Rediscover God’s Presence?
Feeling like God has been absent from your life can be a heavy burden to carry. There is great significance in understanding what it means to be separated from God and why having Him in your life truly matters.
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10 NLT
Being apart from God means living without His guidance, presence, and purpose. We were created to be with him. The longing in your heart for something more—that missing piece of the puzzle—and the reason you wonder aimlessly, despite what you pursue, and the reason all that you accumulate yields emptiness, is because the vital piece that is missing is God, and unless you work to restore what is broken, that barrenness will persist and the void will only seem to get bigger.
Steps Towards Restoration
God is the source of true fulfilment. With Him, no matter the circumstance, joy remains, and His love never fails. He can meet all your needs because He cares for you and knows you intimately.
One of the greatest struggles you will face is your attachment to your own ideas of how life should be. When you cling tightly to your expectations and preferences, you set yourself up for disappointment and frustration.
Do you trust that God knows the plans he has for you (Jeremiah 29:11)? Placing your trust in Him means seeking Him out through prayer. It means reading His Word. It means drawing near to the Father. Your attachment to a specific kind of reality is dangerous because it blinds you to God’s sovereignty.
Proverbs 19:21 NIV reminds us, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
I hope you will release your grip on control and surrender to God’s will. I hope that you will trust God in the midst of your struggles and express your feelings to Him. I pray that He will reveal himself to you and that you will encounter Him in a way only He can encounter you.
When God is missing from your life, it can be disorienting, disheartening, and troublesome. Right now is an opportunity to rediscover the depth of His profound love. A life without God is meaningless. Pleasures are meaningless. Struggles are meaningless. Advances and riches are meaningless. But life with God is a journey on which our weary souls can find rest.
“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