5 ‘Existential-Crisis’ Questions We’ve All Asked

There are certain questions that surface in almost every human heart.

They tend to show up late at night, in moments of loss, or when success still leaves us empty.

They’re not necessarily academic questions, they’re personal ones.

If you’ve ever asked any of the following, you’re not broken, faithless, or behind. You’re human.

1. Does Life Have a Purpose?

Few questions are more foundational than this one.

If life has no purpose; morality is preference, suffering is meaningless, and love is ultimately just temporary chemistry. But nearly every human intuition rebels against that conclusion.

Scripture opens with something remarkable. Not chaos, not accident, but intention.

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1, ESV)

The Hebrew word for “created” here is בָּרָא (bara): A word used almost exclusively for God’s unique, divine acts of bringing something new into existence.

It communicates deliberate, purposeful action. Not trial-and-error. Not randomness.

The Bible later clarifies why humanity exists:

“Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” (Isaiah 43:7, ESV)

Purpose, biblically speaking, is not first about career, success, or even happiness… It’s about relationship and reflection. It’s about knowing God and reflecting His character into the world.

This is why achievements alone never satisfy long-term.

You can accomplish many things and still feel like something is missing, because purpose isn’t something you invent… it’s something you discover.

2. Does God Exist?

This question deserves careful treatment, and it has been addressed thoroughly elsewhere.

Rather than repeat that entire case here, I’ve written a dedicated article walking through the philosophical, scientific, and historical evidence for God’s existence.

• [Check Out THIS ARTICLE on Why There MUST BE a God]

What matters here is this: Christianity does not begin with blind faith. It invites investigation.

but test everything; hold fast what is good.  (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

Biblical faith is not belief without evidence. It’s trust based on evidence.

3. Why Does God Allow Pain and Suffering?

This is often the question behind the question about God’s existence.

“If God is good, why does cancer exist? Why abuse? Why war? Why betrayal?”

The Bible does not offer a shallow answer… but it does offer a coherent one.

Scripture is brutally honest about the world’s condition:

“The creation was subjected to futility… groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.” (Romans 8:20–22)

Christianity teaches that suffering is not part of God’s original design, but the result of human rebellion (sin) fracturing the relationship between God, humanity, and creation.

But here’s the crucial distinction:

• God allows suffering, but He is not distant from it.

“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

In Christianity, God does not remain untouched by pain.

The center of the faith is a suffering God.

The Greek word used in Isaiah’s prophecy (later fulfilled in Christ) for “griefs” is חֳלִי (ḥolî), meaning sickness, affliction, or anguish:

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” (Isaiah 53:4)

The cross tells us that God is not indifferent to suffering. He entered into it, absorbed it, and promises to ultimately defeat it.

4. Is the Bible Reliable?

If the Bible is unreliable, then Christianity collapses under its own claims. So this question matters greatly.

Thankfully, we’ve also done a deep dive article into the history of the Bible and the misconceptions that come along with it.

• You Can Check Out THAT ARTICLE HERE

The New Testament documents were written within the lifetime of eyewitnesses, preserved in thousands of early manuscripts, and transmitted with extraordinary textual consistency.

Luke opens his Gospel like a careful historian—not a mystic:

“It seemed good to me also… to write an orderly account… that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:3–4)

The Greek word for “certainty” here is ἀσφάλεια (asphaleia), meaning: firmness, security, reliability.

Additionally, Jesus Himself treated Scripture as authoritative and trustworthy.

While honest questions about translation, canon, and transmission deserve thoughtful answers, the overwhelming scholarly consensus is that we possess what the original authors wrote.

5. Can I Know God Personally?

This may be the most important question of all.

Christianity does not teach that God is merely a force, principle, or abstract idea.

It teaches that God is personal, and that He desires to be known by you.

Jesus said:

“This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)

The Greek word for “know” here is γινώσκω (ginōskō); relational knowledge, not mere awareness. It implies intimacy, experience, and ongoing relationship.

This is radically different from religion-as-performance.

You are not invited to earn God’s approval, but to receive reconciliation:

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

Knowing God begins not with self-improvement, but with surrender… Trusting Christ and stepping into a restored relationship with the One who made you.

If you are searching, questioning, or just beginning to believe… take heart.

• Christianity can withstand scrutiny.

• It welcomes honest questions.

• And it offers not just answers, but Hope.

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)

The God of Scripture is not hiding.

And He is not far from you.