I’m going to be really honest for a few minutes. I often wrestle with questions I cannot answer. What bothers me even more is that I’m not sure anyone can answer these questions. If you can, feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts. I’d love to hear them. For now, these are some of the things I wrestle with…
If God is all knowing, why was that tree placed in the garden in the first place?
Does God really care about the outcome of sporting events?
If I say and I am going to pray for someone and don’t and what we were praying for doesn’t happen, is it my fault? Would my prayer have made the difference?
Why can I care so much for a stranger on the sidewalk that needs my help, but can’t offer grace at times in my own home?
Do I often “wait on God” when inaction on my part is really the problem?
Am I too quick to throw a verse, Christian comfort phrase, or spun theology at something I should really be learning from?
Why do I get edgy when I see Christian stuff (Christian Guitar Hero, Christian Silly Banz, “Testa-mints”, Christian Music, Movies) because I feel like we are creating our own safe culture? I’m not saying they are bad. I’m just being honest…
These are just a few of the things I have to be honest and say I have questions about. Thanks for letting me debrief a bit.
Your Turn: What do you wrestle with?
Ok, right now I am wrestling with erasing the visual of that pic you used for this post… 🙂
I thought it was great! While disturbing it represents my struggle with faith sometimes. Faith being the bigger of the two.
Hahaha. Yeah, nice pic, Aaron.
My big one, along the lines of yours, is God’s will -vs- my prayers. Knowing He has a will, for my life and others’, my prayers feel almost futile, or sometimes almost inappropriate (cause, you know, what do I know about what’s best for anyone). I struggle with this one regularly.
Another great question to wrestle with. If He is all knowing (which He is), then do the prayers even matter or count? I think the answer would be that the spirit will lead and guide us, but it’s a valid question worth asking and wrestling with.
We’re two peas in a pod. Reminds me of two things I’ve posted on my blog:
1) Do you ever wonder if one of God’s decisions hinges on whether or not you (personally) pray about it?
IF SO… isn’t that scary?
IF NOT… why pray?
2) A farmer is in Iowa during a flood. The river is overflowing, with water surrounding the farmer’s home up to his front porch. As he is standing there, a boat comes up, The man in the boat says “Jump in, I’ll take you to safety.”
The farmer crosses his arms and says stubbornly, “Nope, I put my trust in God.”
The boat goes away. The water rises to the second floor. Another boat comes up, the man says to the farmer who is now in the second story window, “Jump in, I’ll save you.”
The farmer again says, “Nope, I put my trust in God.”
The boat goes away. Now the water is up to the roof. As The farmer stands on the roof, a helicopter comes over, and drops a ladder. The pilot yells down to the farmer “I’ll save you, climb the ladder.”
The farmer says “Nope, I put my trust in God.”
The helicopter goes away. The water comtinues to rise and sweeps the farmer off the roof. He drowns.
The farmer goes to heaven. God sees him and says “What are you doing here?”
The farmer says “I put my trust in you and you let me down.”
God says, “What do you mean, let you down? I sent you two boats and a helicopter!!!”
Mudpuppy – Always seem to be cut from the same cloth don’t we? Love the question about the prayer. Also love the joke about the 3 attempts. Have thought of that often in my search for Gods will. I think we will have some good laughs in Heaven when we really see where we turned left when we should have gone right. So many questions. I guess that’s why they call it faith.
Here’s mine – If God’s plan will always prevail, does it really matter which decision I make (between 2 seemingly good choices)if it all comes around to His plan anyway?
Good question from my lovely wife (we had this discussion driving recently too). Glad to see I am not the only one with questions…thank you all for adding yours as well.
Love this post.
I’m with you on this:
“Why do I get edgy when I see Christian stuff (Christian Guitar Hero, Christian Silly Banz, “Testa-mints”, Christian Music, Movies) because I feel like we are creating our own safe culture?”
Very well-said.
I could ask the same questions.
I don’t have any answers either.
My question would be:
If I can kneel down beside some one in the most difficult situation,
where are people when I need some one?
I hear you Sandy. In fact, I asked the Lord this question some time ago with a sincere heart, the words He spoke to me were, “Am I enough?” “Do you trust that I could have sent someone?” “Am I enough?”