Has Human Guidance Failed?
WHO created all things? If your answer is “God,” then you are in the company of millions who believe in the God of the Bible, the Creator.
Yet, many who believe in God have difficulty accepting that he is actively involved in solving mankind’s problems. Is it realistic to think that God has a program under way that will bring relief to humankind? Many find no reasonable evidence that this is so.
For thousands of years, humans have experimented with countless self-help methods in the search for solutions, leaving God out of the picture. But have humans found the solutions? Or are the problems getting more serious and difficult to resolve? How is man handling the urgent problems in the world today?
One expert puts it this way: “Ever since the Industrial Revolution, the developed countries have over-exploited the world’s natural resources through unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, causing damage to the global environment, to the detriment of developing countries.”
Man continues to ruin the earth. The Argentinean newspaper Clarín commented: “In the second half of this century, economic covetousness, lack of caution, and negligence were responsible for great disasters that not only claimed human victims but also degraded the environment, often to incalculable limits.”
Extreme poverty now seems to be a permanent fixture in modern society. Even the so-called rich countries of the world are bending their knees under the overwhelming weight of poverty. According to The Globe and Mail of Toronto, Canada, it is estimated that “one-third of all Canadians will experience poverty over the course of their working lives.” The newspaper adds that “family breakdown is one of the main reasons for poverty, and the trend has accelerated in recent years.”
Drug abuse is another sign of a deteriorating society. What can mankind do about it? Evidently very little overall. Millions continue to experience physical, mental, and moral degradation as a direct result of their abuse of narcotics. And the problem is spreading like wildfire.
Scientists seem to be losing the war against disease. True, modern technology has won many battles. Yet, some scientific procedures in themselves have contributed to the emergence of new drug-resistant strains of dangerous microbes.
Human governments cannot stop widespread violations of human rights. For example, despite the many pledges and laws formulated to prevent slavery, it is estimated that around the world more than a hundred million people are forced to work under conditions that amount to abject slavery.
But why has human guidance failed? Consider these factors. Human guidance comes from people—people who have serious limitations. Their experience in life is relatively short and generally limited by certain cultures or environments. Their knowledge is also limited. Whatever guidance they give reflects those limitations. As the apostle Paul said, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”—Romans 3:23.
In reality most of the problems and difficulties that the greater part of humankind is experiencing are the direct or indirect result of ignoring God’s guidance. Where, though, can such guidance be found? How does God provide us with direction today? The following article will consider the answers.