Life can sometimes feel empty, like we're just going through the motions without any real purpose or meaning. C.S. Lewis, a famous author, captured this feeling perfectly in his book That Hideous Strength. In the story, the character Mark feels his life is “the dust and broken bottles, the heap of old tin cans, the dry and choking places.” His life is empty, and he represents what a lot of people today are experiencing—a world disconnected from something deeper, something transcendent. But through the story, Mark's eyes are opened to a greater reality, much like how people today can discover hope through the gospel.
The Modern Struggle: Feeling Lost
Our world today is full of distractions and noise, but many teens and adults still feel like something's missing. Have you ever felt like that? You're not alone. C.S. Lewis writes about Mark realizing that, despite everything he thought he knew, something deeper and more real existed. He calls this “the Normal”—something good, beautiful, and true that he had ignored but now could sense as solid and life-giving.
This idea connects to what Jesus said in John 10:10 (NIV): "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Jesus is offering more than just existence—He’s offering a life filled with meaning and purpose, something deeper than the day-to-day struggles or the distractions that leave us feeling empty.
Why We Feel Disconnected
The modern world is often described as "disenchanted." This means many people don’t believe in anything beyond the material world—no God, no ultimate purpose, no meaning beyond what we see and feel. Philosopher Charles Taylor, in his book A Secular Age, says that this loss of transcendence (something bigger than us) is why so many feel a lack of meaning. He describes our world as having “a lack of weight, gravity, thickness, substance.”
Without God, people may feel like their lives are “the dry and choking places” that Lewis talked about. It's a sense of barrenness that creeps in, even when we don’t fully realize it. This can be especially true for teens who are growing up in a world focused on success, popularity, and appearances. But underneath all that, there’s a hunger for something real and lasting.
The Bible Speaks to This
The Bible talks about this emptiness in many ways. In Ecclesiastes 1:14 (NIV), the writer says, "I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind." This can sound a lot like how many people feel today—chasing after grades, popularity, relationships, or success but finding it all empty in the end.
But the Bible doesn’t leave us in despair. It points us to the ultimate source of meaning: God Himself. In Psalm 16:11 (NIV), we’re reminded, "You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Unlike the world’s fleeting pleasures, God offers lasting joy and meaning in His presence.
The Good News of the Gospel
The good news of the gospel is that Jesus came to restore what is broken, including the emptiness we feel in life without God. When Mark in That Hideous Strength realized there was something more, he began to change. This is what happens when we encounter the truth of the gospel.
Romans 5:1-2 (NIV) says, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand." Through Jesus, we find peace, hope, and a relationship with God that fills the void in our hearts.
Overcoming the Noise of the World
It’s easy to get distracted by the world around us—social media, pressure from friends, school, and everything else. But these distractions often keep us from seeing what really matters. In Making Sense of God, author Tim Keller says that modern people are often so unhappy that it takes years to fully realize it. This speaks to our need to pause, reflect, and ask deeper questions about life.
The Bible encourages us to focus on what’s truly important. In Romans 12:2 (NIV), we’re told, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." We need to break away from the emptiness of worldly distractions and allow God to fill our minds with His truth and purpose.
Finding Hope in God
In a world that often feels hopeless, we can find real hope in Jesus. As 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) encourages us, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." God wants to take away our burdens, our feelings of emptiness, and replace them with His peace and purpose.
Like the character Mark, who found something “solid, massive, with a shape of its own,” we too can discover a life that is rooted in something real—God’s love for us. This doesn’t mean all our problems will disappear, but it does mean we don’t have to face them alone or without hope.
A New Life in Christ
So, how do we move from the “dry and choking places” to a life full of purpose and meaning? It starts with turning to God. When we acknowledge that only He can fill the void in our hearts, we begin a journey toward real, lasting joy. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"
No matter where you are in life, remember that God offers a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV). He invites you to move from the confusion and despair of modern life into a relationship with Him, where you can find true meaning, joy, and peace.
