We all know that life is hard. After meeting one-on-one with thousands of men for breakfast, coffee, or lunch, I can say with confidence that all of us are struggling to answer one or more of these seven questions…

• “Why do I feel so alone?”
• “Does God care about me personally?”
• “What is the purpose of my life – it feels a random?”
• “How can I conquer these destructive behaviors that keep dragging me down?”
• “How can I feed my soul?”
• “How can I make my relationships more healthy?”
• “How can I make a difference and leave the world a better place?”

I’m sure you can add to my list, but whether you live in Seattle or Selma, Singapore or Saigon, we’re all asking the same questions. Regardless of your intelligence, wisdom, wealth, education, ethnicity, or eloquence, we’re all trying to solve the same problems.

That’s because Christianity and secularism are not trying to solve different problems. They are trying to solve the same problems in different ways.

Christianity perfectly explains why life is so hard, and what to do about it. The problem is that every other worldview, philosophy, and religion also promises the same thing. And the good ones actually work—sometimes for as long as 30 or 40 years.

But all worldviews other than Christianity eventually fail, frequently at the worst possible moment, and often after you have given it the best years of your life. Don’t make that mistake.

Over the holidays, consider using these seven questions for a time of reflection, self-examination, and New Year’s course corrections. They’re the same questions that everyone else is asking too.

Until every church disciples every man…

Pat