Answering the Difficult Questions That Seekers Ask

Sunday, 18 January 2009

Answering the Difficult Questions That Seekers Ask
Guest post by HaxorAlay
My mind tells me that I should know the answers to our "unfathomable" God. Being told to accept that we will never really understand our God is often unsatisfying, especially because many of the biggest questions from non-Christians seek answers. How can I boldly defend my faith with the kind of knowledge that none can budge? How can I reach out to those that don't know the Lord without scaring them away?
Recently, these questions have grown in importance. I realized that the Body can't just forget about them simply because the answers are difficult; the lives of people may lie in a moment of deciding to reach out in love vs. deciding to continue on our way, blind to those that need God (everyone).
As of now, I admit, I lack discipline. I lack knowledge and I lack the total amount of (not all... but a lot of) passion I should be living each day with. I know I'm young, but with God a single person can do more than we think. How much more could I have done since knowing the Lord? How much more could I be doing now and how much am I really able to do in the future?
I recently started reading a book called Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I also just read a Xanga entry from Revelife where the writer asked about the nature of God: how nice, generous, compassionate etc. people could go to hell while people who have done worse or have given less but have faith could go to Heaven. How our God – described as loving and merciful and gracious – could send people to hell.
"God is all-powerful...
... Psalm 115:3 reveals, "Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him." Yet we keep questioning Him:
"Why are so many people dying of starvation?"
"Why are there so many planets with nothing living on them?"
"Why is my family so messed up?"
"Why don't you make Yourself more obvious to the people who need You?"
The answer to each of these questions is simply this: because He's God. He has more of a right to ask us why so many people are starving.
And then Chan mentions Daniel 4:35-"...No one can hold back his hand or say to him: 'What have you done?'"
For non-Christians, I don't have that answer for you. In fact, for Christians either. But for the body, the church, the believers – our God is the One who in the midst of all the bigger things going on in the world, takes the time to know us. And read the Word because if you're wondering why there's so much suffering (spiritual, physical, emotional) around the world, it's because we haven't taken the Lord's command to love and reach out and change lives to the heart.
I realized that I could be giving millions of times more than playing on worship team, serving in whatever ministry opportunities at church, packing shoeboxes to send overseas once a year, going on a short-term missions trip, being in and part of the leadership of the Christian club at school, and trying to be a good/sacrificial person. Who am I to give myself credit for these efforts? Are they not what we were commanded to do?
All of us, without Jesus, deserve hell as much as the next person no matter who's done drugs, cussed, stolen, murdered etc. and who hasn't. But all things are possible with God. And all of us are wanted and loved and blessed by the Lord. Let's love, give, listen, strengthen, minister, witness, learn, grow, teach, and worship like we were commanded to.