Lots of religious people feel purposeless too, so faith doesn't really provide purpose

This is true, and it matters

Believers do struggle. Depression affects people of every faith and none. And spiritual dryness is common enough that Christian tradition has names for it. Mother Teresa's private letters, published after her death as Come Be My Light, revealed that she experienced decades of feeling God's absence while continuing her work among the poor. If faith were a guaranteed mood-booster, her story wouldn't make sense.

Feeling vs fact

The Christian claim isn't that believers always feel purposeful. It's that purpose objectively exists, whether or not you feel it on a given day. Feelings fluctuate for everyone. A married person can feel distant from their spouse and still be married. A soldier can feel his mission is pointless in a muddy trench and still be part of something that matters. Purpose is about what's true of your life, not how you feel in each moment.

The Bible expects this

The Bible doesn't hide spiritual struggle. The Psalms include laments like "Why, my soul, are you downcast?" (Psalm 42). Ecclesiastes explores the feeling that life is meaningless "under the sun." Elijah asked God to let him die. Jesus himself cried out on the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Christianity has always made room for darkness, doubt and seasons of emptiness. That's a sign of honesty, not failure.

What faith does offer

Faith doesn't promise constant happiness. It offers a framework in which suffering and emptiness aren't the final word. Mother Teresa kept going, not because she felt God's presence, but because she believed her work mattered to him. That's a different kind of purpose: one that can survive feelings. Many believers say their faith gave them a reason to keep going precisely when they felt purposeless.

Mental health is real

It's important to say clearly: depression is a medical condition, not a spiritual failure. Christians who struggle should seek professional help, and faith communities should support them. Believing in God doesn't make anyone immune to illness.

A fair concession

Churches have sometimes made people feel that sadness means weak faith. That's both false and harmful.

How to explain this to a friend

When this comes up, honesty is disarming. You can say plainly that believers struggle too, and that the Bible is full of people who felt lost or abandoned. Then explain that Christian purpose isn't a mood but a reality you can lean on when feelings fade. If your friend is struggling themselves, the most important thing is to listen and encourage them to get support, not to win a point.

The bottom line

Feelings come and go for everyone. The claim is about whether purpose objectively exists, not whether we always feel it. Christianity makes room for darkness and offers a purpose that doesn't depend on how you feel today. For more, see Does life have a purpose?