“Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s understanding or human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.”
Needed Background
Since time began we have been asking the question “Why?” Our pursuit of curiosity led to a series of widespread beliefs: the Greeks: Olympus, Asian culture: Buddhism, and Confucianism, and the most prevalent throughout the world today: Christianity.
I say this because there have always been commonalities between societies. We are all drawn from the same human nature; we lean towards understanding, look for reason, and believe what we see. Within this, we understand we have limits. The one thing humans may never know for certain is what succeeds in this life so we seek something higher: a God, gods, or a way of life that should influence the next.
As Matthew 7 says, “As you seek, you will find;” the motto that has shaped human history. We sought. We found. We kept seeking… Although this has shaped our history, history has been rewritten many times; you get to choose what you believe.
This being said, I encourage you to Stay Curious. Seek the Truth and stand strong on what you know to be true. I intend to express truth in all that I write; sharing what I believe to be “The Truth.” Meaning it cannot be proven wrong, unfactual, or incorrect; but what was once truthful is no longer, for it has been proven wrong. So yes, I encourage you to question what I say. I encourage you to look for answers. I encourage you to Stay Curious and Seek the Truth.
Common Questions
Within the Faith, two of the most common questions to (and from) a practicing Christian are “Why God?” and “Why God?” Though similar in appearance, the questions are the opposite.
The first “Why God?” often derives from a new Christian or someone interested in the faith. They are asking: Why choose the “Christian God” or the One True God?
The second is from active Christians expressing their confusion towards God and his decisions. At times they are yelling or crying to the Lord with their hands held high, screaming “WHY GOD?”
Why God?
Curiosity towards the Christian faith is a very common occurrence. People want to know how life began, how it will end, and what lies in the middle. Other curiosity extends from supernatural occurrences. They have seen, heard, or experienced something that they don’t consider to be of this world. This draws them to seek out and find answers. The answer I would give to someone asking me why to chose Christianity would be this:
“In all other religions, you have to seek out the deity. You have to play by their rules with little room for error. Oftentimes, you must make offerings in their name to gain a certain something. In Christianity, God seeks us out. He comes to us and offers a new life through Him. He asks us if we would like to choose a life with Him. When I felt what real love was – that was when I started to believe. That was when I turned to Him. I knew that He had zero judgment against me, only love. That seems like something worth believing in.”
Nate Dewitt, Youth Past of Harderwyk Ministries had a different view of why to choose God:
“If there is a god out there, probably the best thing ever right? Okay, well how do you define the best thing ever: probably some depiction of what real love is. As human beings, there isn’t anything better than the purest form of love… Okay well then, when you think about the purest form of love: Christianity is the best depiction of that. That to me – what Jesus did, what God did, the story of how He took us from Adam and Eve to today… that’s love.”
He went on to explain that you(God) don’t sacrifice your only son(Jesus) unless you love somebody(all who have sinned). You don’t sacrifice yourself (Jesus) – you don’t go through that(the story of the Crucifixion) to express your love for someone unless you are made in pure love. And that’s not how it works in the other religions. The deity doesn’t sacrifice for you, it’s vice versa. Now, this doesn’t answer all the questions, but it provides a foundation. To call you to live a certain way, not because you have to but because you want to – that’s a loving way of being a god. God doesn’t say “You are going to do this or you’re going to hell.” He says, “I got you covered on the Hell part if you want it. If that matters to you, try living that way.” There’s a big difference there.
WHY GOD?
Why would God do this to me? Why did He let this happen? Why won’t He help me? WHY GOD?
God doesn’t enact evil upon you; that is the devil. God is pure and knows no evil.
God always hears your prayers, but He listens to what is in your heart. He responds according to your feelings rather than your words. So if you pray for the resolution of a past relationship or trauma, but you still hold on to it in your heart, God will not take this from you. This is because God will not take what has not been given to Him. If in your heart you do not want to give up something, God will not remove it from your life. God gives you a choice and He will abide by your choosing.
So before questioning God’s actions or inactions, be sure that your words match your heart, because that is the only time God will respond: when you are open, honest, and transparent. God knows everything about you, He knows everything you have to say, He just wants you to tell it to Him.
“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.”
Even in your time of despair, God offers you an escape; but again, God will not just give this to you; you must choose to receive it: “He will show you a way out.” As the scripture also states, you will not be tempted with more than you can stand. This is soothing given that we often feel so overwhelmed that we may just implode, but God assures us that He will not let the devil tempt us with “more than you can stand.”
So as war brews in your mind, body, and spirit; I encourage you to Stay Curious and Seek the Truth. Always run to God, for God is the Truth. He is pure in his ways, while the world is sick. Pursue a lifestyle in his presence and you will no longer question “Why God?” You will believe without seeing, you will listen without hearing, and you will feel without touching. Do not be the person to cover your ears to His words and close your eyes to His movement. Look for Him and you will be without failure. Take these words as they are true.
If you are still struggling with this topic in particular, I encourage you to read from the source: the book of the Bible titled “Job.” This book tells the story of Job; it grapples with questioning and the nature of God’s justice. Looking at long long-lasting pain that Job endured, and God’s reaction, action, and inaction to it.
Also, each verse is linked, so be sure to read the context behind the passage if you are confused. Here are a couple more that may relate:
“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise Him on the last day.”
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your understanding.
“And the Lord God said, ‘The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”’
