What Trump’s Victory Says about the Human Longing for Meaningful Purpose

Former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove called Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election “the most astonishing campaign in modern history.” After reading scores of reports on the results, I cannot find anyone who disagrees.

Analysts are citing the economy in general, inflation in particular, President Biden’s ego, Kamala Harris as a candidate, her failure to distinguish herself from Mr. Biden, vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, the Democratic Party, the media, and the American electorate.

However, one of the most insightful critiques I have found takes a completely different approach.

“This Was No Ordinary Contest”

Daniel McCarthy is the editor of an intellectual journal called Modern Age: A Conservative Review. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, USA Today, the Spectator, the National Interest, and a variety of other publications. Immediately following Donald Trump’s re-election, he published a guest essay in the New York Times titled “This Is Why Trump Won.”

He writes:

This was no ordinary contest between two candidates from rival parties: The real choice before voters was between Mr. Trump and everyone else—not only the Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, and her party, but also Republicans like Liz Cheney, top military officers like Gen. Mark Milley and Gen. John Kelly (also a former chief of staff), outspoken members of the intelligence community, and Nobel Prize-winning economists.
Framed this way, the presidential contest became an example of what’s known in economics as “creative destruction.” His opponents certainly fear that Mr. Trump will destroy American democracy itself.
To his supporters, however, a vote for Mr. Trump meant a vote to evict a failed leadership class from power and recreate the nation’s institutions under a new set of standards that would better serve American citizens.

In this view, those who gave Mr. Trump and his party such a strong mandate want them to forge a different and better future for our nation than previous administrations from both parties have been able to create. I am not only convinced Mr. McCarthy is right—I think his explanation provides a vital, even crucial, insight for Christians seeking to serve Jesus in our post-Christian culture.

We Want More of What We Want Most

One sentiment all humans share is a longing for more. Even on our best days, we want more of what we want most. Plato explained this as our “soul” remembering its pre-incarnate life. An evolutionary approach would suggest that we seek to improve ourselves and our world to propagate ourselves and our species. Psychologists might point to the “idealized self,” the person we wish to be, and strive to convince others that we are.

A biblical explanation is that we were created by God for a personal relationship with him in a perfect paradise. Our sin led to our expulsion from Eden; the story of humanity is our striving to return. This is by divine design—despite our fallen state, we still possess a deep desire for the “abundant” life our Father wants for his children (John 10:10).

What priorities does our Lord intend this longing to produce?

One: Improve this world for the common good.

Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles in Babylon is equally relevant to spiritual exiles wherever we live: “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lᴏʀᴅ on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (Jeremiah 29:7).

Two: Depend on God to do what we cannot.

The more we strive for a better world, the more frustrated we become when we fail. And the more we should then turn to the One who alone can change human hearts (2 Corinthians 5:17). Praying for the lost to be saved and for the saved to be sanctified is the most powerful way to serve both.

Three: Use this world to prepare for the eutopia to come.

C. S. Lewis observed, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” As we serve the common good with the help of God, we realize that the good we seek most is available only in the world to come (cf. Romans 8:18). We then use this life to serve life eternal.

“People Who Have Come to Know the Joy of God”

Here’s the problem: Satan loves to pervert all that God creates. In this context, he tempts us to invert our three priorities to align with our secularized culture:

Improve this life for self-serving purposes.
Depend on ourselves to do what others cannot.
Strive to make a utopia of this world.

Now you and I must choose every day between Satan’s strategy and our Father’s priorities. It’s not enough to want the latter—we must intentionally and strategically enact them and measure success by them every day.

The further our culture drifts from God’s word and favor, the more urgent such priorities become—for us and for the nation we’re called to reach with biblical truth and grace.

To this end, let’s consider an observation from Henri Nouwen:

People who have come to know the joy of God do not deny the darkness, but they choose not to live in it. They claim that the light that shines in the darkness can be trusted more than the darkness itself and that a little bit of light can dispel a lot of darkness. They point each other to flashes of light here and there and remind each other that they reveal the hidden but real presence of God.
They discover that there are people who heal each other’s wounds, forgive each other’s offenses, share their possessions, foster the spirit of community, celebrate the gifts they have received, and live in constant anticipation of the full manifestation of God’s glory.

Will you “come to know the joy of God” today?

*Denison Forum does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in these stories.

Quote for the Day:

“For Christians, the present life is the closest they will come to hell. For unbelievers, it is the closest they will come to heaven.” —Randy Alcorn

Related Resource: Thinking Christian after the Election: Our Task Doesn't Change

In this episode, James offers a biblical perspective on regime changes based on the transition from judges to monarchy in ancient Israel as portrayed in 1 Samuel. He considers the consistent call to love God and neighbor and to fear the Lord and keep his commandments. He encourages Christians to focus on living faithfully and with understanding whether their candidate won or lost. Listen in, and be sure to subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!

Published Date: November 7, 2024

Jim Denison, PhD, is a cultural theologian and the founder and CEO of Denison Ministries. Denison Ministries includes DenisonForum.org, First15.org, ChristianParenting.org, and FoundationsWithJanet.org. Jim speaks biblically into significant cultural issues at Denison Forum. He is the chief author of The Daily Article and has written more than 30 books, including The Coming Tsunami, the Biblical Insight to Tough Questions series, and The Fifth Great Awakening.