When Big Questions Loom: An Honest Response

Some questions linger unanswered – questions that weigh heavy on your heart, mind, soul, and strength.

They threaten to suffocate the joy out of life and life can feel barren, hopeless, endless.

Everyone else seems to have all the answers or they never had any questions. Their lives seem purposeful, full of meaning, with no lingering questions. They are successful or at least apparently happy and their happiness seems to add weight to your questions.

And the simple answers – the ones not won after wrestling with God – feel like the force of a cannon ball shot a close quarters.

Would someone be honest enough to say the question has no simple answer?

Would we as the church stand up and say there are many things we do not understand?

Could we be honest enough to admit that more often than not God’s ways are not our ways and He is bigger and better than we can imagine even in the questions and injustices of life?

What if we made prayer circles and prayed big prayers that only God can fulfill, but then prayed as Jesus did, “Not my will, but Yours?”

Can we, church, admit that although we know God is good, holy, righteous, pure, and perfect that we aren’t privy to how He choses to shape the course of history?

Can we stop attempting to shore up God’s reputation by denying or failing to mention He is also a jealous God and a God of wrath?

Maybe there in the midst of uncertainty true faith develops.

Faith that knows it does not have all the answers, but trusts a God who does.

Faith that believes God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, but knows that God’s plans – which are for our good – may not always look good in this physical world.

Faith that begs Jesus to help our unbelief.

Faith that clings to God even when questions linger.