Freedom in Questions

I had a conversation with a friend the other day and during our conversation he expressed all his doubts and questions about the universe and about God, even the existence of God. I could see in his eyes that he had been pondering these questions for quite some time and I could see the relief in his eyes that he was finally sharing them.

It was in this conversation that I realized the power of suppressing questions... but also the power of asking them. 

So many times as Christians we are afraid to ask questions and we are afraid to doubt. It is this fear that we might offend God, or worse, the other Christians around us (gasp). If we claim to know the truth, as we do, why are we afraid to push back on it; to poke it a little bit and see if it stands up? The funny thing about truth is that it's truth. The truth will outlast any lie, any doubt and any fear simply because it's the truth! Anything that falls apart because of a few questions is not truth, it's religion and I want nothing to do with it. 

I think God actually likes our questions. I think He sits in Heaven waiting for us to ask them with a smile on His face. The amazing thing about God is that He wants to reveal more of Himself to us. He longs for community with us and He longs for us to know Him fully. He is not intimidated by our doubt, He gets excited by it because it gives Him the perfect excuse to show us more of who He is. The God of the universe is not going to fall off His throne because you questioned if He exists. The world is not going to stop functioning just because you questioned who created it. 

One of my favorite verses in the Bible (because I can't pick just one) is Hebrews 4:16. It says, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (ESV). Another translation says "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (KJV). I think the second one is my favorite translation of that verse, I love that term "boldly".

God invites us, and even commands us, to come to Him boldly. Too many Christians nowadays walk around in timidity, too afraid to push back on God and express how they are really feeling about Him. "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1. 7. NIV). Don't get me wrong here. Humility is important and I am not saying to reject humility; it's just that humility and timidity are two very different things.

God is referred to in scripture as our Heavenly father, and we are His children. I have the best earthly father anyone could ask for. My dad is amazing and he is the perfect example of what it looks like to pursue God and love his family. I could go on for days just talking about how much I love him. And you see, if I have a question to ask my dad, I come to him boldly because I know that he loves me and he wants me to understand things grow in knowledge, (trust me, there is no one that tells me to study more than my dad). My dad loves to answer my questions whether they are about the world around me, about God and my faith, or even my questions about him and who he was before I was born. If my dad enjoys that, how much more does God? God is a good father and He wants His children to know more about Him and all that He created. 

We over complicate things way to much. God is holy, He is majestic, beautiful, eternal, infinite, and there is nothing about Him that is not good. He is so complex, but at the same time He is incredibly relatable, He is playful and He makes Himself understandable.  

So I guess what I am saying is keep asking questions. Embrace your doubts and fears and allow God to show you who He is and what He created. Walk boldly to His throne and ask your Father the questions of your heart. I think you'll find He has been waiting patiently for you to ask so He can finally show you all the things you wonder and desire. 

I'd love to hear what some of you ask God and what He tells you! If you feel like sharing, feel free to message me through the contact page! Blessings, my friends! :)