“There is No God” Revisited

Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!

Psalm 14:1

Earlier this month, we noted the claim of the wicked that “There is no God.” Today we find this same boast in Psalm 14. Given the widespread belief in divine beings in the ancient Near East, it’s likely that the fools who said “There is no God” weren’t philosophical atheists so much as functional atheists. In abstract they acknowledged the existence of the divine, but in practice they lived as if there were no god.

It can be tempting for those of us who believe in God to live as if God were irrelevant to part of our lives. Many Christians have bought into the sacred/secular distinction so common in our culture. In this way of thinking, God is only concerned with the “sacred” parts of life: church, personal faith, private life, family. In the “secular” arena, God is irrelevant. Thus, when it comes to our work, our political activity, or our community involvements we are not unlike the fools of Psalm 14. Without ever saying “There is no God,” we live as if God just doesn’t matter in when it comes to secular things.

Nothing could be further from the truth, from a biblical perspective. The God who created all things cares about all things, including that which we label “secular.” God is as interested in how we live at work as he is in the content of our private devotions. God wants to make a difference through us in every part of life. In the classic language of Psalm 24, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” Everything ultimately belongs to God, and he cares about it all. Thus, we who believe in God ought to live each moment of each day guided by the truth that “There is a God and he always matters.”

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: In what arenas of your life are you tempted to live as if there were no God? What helps you to remember God’s presence in the so-called “secular” parts of life?

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I do believe in you. And I do seek to live my life as if you were always present, always caring, always wanting to work in and through me. Yet I must confess that I find it easy to segment my life. You matter when it comes to some things, but not to others. I know my thinking is wrong here, but I admit to you that I find it hard to fully embrace the truth of your concern for all of life.

Help me, Lord, to put away false thinking. May I be less and less inclined to see the world as divided into the sacred and the secular. Instead, may I “see” your presence in all of life. May I represent you when I’m working, shopping, driving, talking, voting, and so on. Preserve me, dear Lord, from the foolishness of living as if you weren’t there or didn’t care. Amen.