I’ve noticed a pattern becoming more and more distinct over the past five years or so of writing this blog. It’s a pattern that speaks to the way I’m beginning to understand a little bit more about how God works in our lives to open our eyes to new perspectives, and to find some victories along the way.
Here’s how I’ve seen it play out.
- God identifies, specifically to me, an area of my Christian walk, or Christian thinking that needs some fine-tuning.
- God shows me, through the Bible or devotions or other Christians speaking into my life, what needs to change in this area.
- I recognize that the solution is pretty simple and easily understood.
- I recognize that I have little if any strength to actually accomplish that!
- I turn to God for his power to work in me to affect this change of perspective or behavior.
- Rinse and repeat for this particular challenge, and any others I’ll likely encounter.
I’ve seen this pattern in many areas of my life and have written about it in numerous blog posts along the way.
Today I want to apply it to an area that will seem monumental to most of us, myself included. As the title suggests, can we really refrain from questioning God about … anything? From why we have to sit through another red light when we’re already late, to why are there so many weather-related disasters in the world, to why I lost my child so tragically?
There’s no end to the circumstances that cause us to question God. Because, let’s face it, much of what we experience in this life is questionable from our limited, human, justice-seeking perspective. And that’s what’s at the heart of how I believe we can at least minimize our questioning of God.
Why is this important? In my experience, questioning God over and over again, either about the same circumstance, or every time something goes badly in our lives can, and often does, lead to a deterioration of our relationship with him. Not because God pulls back, but because we start to doubt him more and more. And that’s never a good thing!
But first a caveat or two.
- In and of itself, it’s not wrong to wonder why God has brought tragedy and heartache into our lives. Of course, it doesn’t feel right, and questioning God isn’t above his paygrade. All the junk in our lives and world is the direct result of the fall in the garden when sin enter God’s perfect creation. Check out Job’s story to see how his nearly total devastation and subsequent questioning of God turned out!
- It’s also not wrong to grieve over those very same circumstances that have caused you to ask God why. Just don’t make that grief your permanent address.
Okay, let’s get to the heart of this question. Can we really stop asking, “Why God?”
Using our previously identified model, let’s see how we can strive to work through this larger-than-life challenge.
- We’ve identified, for purposes of this example, that the unacceptable action and perspective is questioning why God would allow such awful things to happen in our lives.
- We’re going to turn to the biblical example I just mention to illustrate where we should direct our thinking on this subject. When Job questioned God (rightfully in our eyes) about the totality of the tragedies he was suffering through, God’s answer was simply, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?”
- That statement is at the heart of how we can begin to stop questioning God. He created everything! Do you marvel at the majesty of the Rocky Mountains, or the beauty of the Grand Canyon, or the vastness of the ocean? How about the miracle of birth? Or the hilarity of some of those fish and insects God created? Perhaps you ponder the intricacy of a beautiful rose in bloom, or the inner workings of the human body. The places you can go to be in awe of God’s creation are endless.
- Perhaps you do see his sovereignty in creation, but question if he is truly good or truly faithful. I can’t address that in a few short statements. I can, however, point you to the source that can allay those concerns. Search the Bible for stories of God’s faithfulness – to Israel, to Abraham, Moses, Joseph, David, Jesus’ mother, Mary, and so many more. If you struggle here, take the time and effort to find stories that dispel the notion that God isn’t good or faithful.
3. This is as simple and pared down as I can make this epic issue. God is God, and we are not. I’ll add to that the endless examples found around us, and in the Bible that we can absolutely count on. We can make a decision, to some degree, to trust in God’s goodness, and in his sovereignty. Period.
4. If that feels like an impossible task, regardless of your creation or Bible inspection, then this step is for you! Of course it feels impossible!
5. Ask God to supply you with the childlike trust that is necessary to stop questioning what our good and sovereign God is doing – in our lives, our families, our churches, and the world around us.
6. Don’t be surprised if this process takes time and practice for it to become more and more a part of how you walk through this crazy world. Believe that God is doing this work in you, and when you start to feel overwhelmed, ask him to remind you of who he is, and all he’s capable of accomplishing in you.
I pray you will use the lens of God’s power, love, and faithfulness to view whatever heartache you’re living with right now, or whatever trial is waiting to knock on your door.
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities
—all things were created through him and for him.
And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:16-17
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