This Atheism Thing

“Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things” (Philippians 3:19, ESV).

I was talking in the exam room with my patient Jessica. She was doing well physically, so we could chat a minute. Today she had good news to tell me about her older son who had previously turned away from the Lord.
“I gotta tell you this,” she said.
“My son was over to dinner the other night and told me, ‘You know, Mom, how you always tell me that God is trying to get my attention?’
I answered him, ‘Yes,’ holding in my hope.
‘This atheist thing isn’t working out so well for me. I think I’m going to try the Lord again.’
I could hardly contain my joy. We finished our meal and he got up to leave. He stopped at the door and said, ‘Can you help me with one more thing?’
‘Anything,’ I said.
‘May I borrow a Bible?’”

“This atheism thing isn’t working out so well for me.” Duh?
Should we be surprised? Atheism is a faith that claims all life is accidental, driven by natural selection; there is no purpose in life. When we die, we cease to exist and drift into nothingness; our bodies feed the worms; our hopes and dreams are but biological chemical reactions programmed in us to improve the survival of our species.
Some people think this is actually a good foundation upon which they can plan their lives. Others, like Bertrand Russell, realize that atheism leads to a life of despair, but they accept it as truth and learn to live with distractions to hide this “truth” from their daily thinking. As Russell put it:
“Only within the scaffolding of these truths, only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair, can the soul's habitation henceforth be safely built.”
     The Free Man’s Worship
Not only do I choose not to build my life on despair, but also I know the truth of life is far different from this. The foundation of our lives is not despair but love. The truth of life is this: God designed us in love, filled us with purpose and fashioned us in a fantastically complicated way within a pattern discoverable by scientific method. Our purpose lies not in the survival of the species but in the eternal survival of each man and woman. We are made for relationship. Our lives are fulfilled within relationships with our Father and with each other through Christ our Lord.
This atheism thing will never work out so well, but life in Christ is real and works out just fine.

Dear God,
Thank you for creating me in love and then letting me know that I am yours.
Amen