WHY?

It seems natural for us to ask questions: What is that? Who are you? When are you coming? Where are we going? How do I do that? Why did that happen? Who, what, when, where, how, and why are useful in understanding and figuring things out, but they can trip us up sometimes too. Spiritually, they can help us build and strengthen faith, but they can also sometimes damage the trust aspect of faith.

For example, take the question, “Why?” The Scriptures fuel our faith for why Jesus came to earth (“…to seek and save the lost” – Lk 19:10), and why He died on the cross (“…to give His life as a ransom for man” – Mk 10:45). We know why we are to love others:  because God loved us first and love is of God (1 Jn 4:19). And we are to do good works. Why? Because we are “created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Ep 2:10) and Jesus redeemed us “to purify for Himself a people… zealous for good works” (Ti 2:14). So, yes, the Bible answers some, “Why?” questions that strengthen our faith, but it doesn’t answer all of them.

So, what do we do when the Scriptures don’t answer our, “Why?” questions? What should we do? What if we can’t find a good answer for why there is suffering in the world, or for why a good God could allow a bad thing to happen in my life (or the life of another)? Why do evil people sometimes prosper when at the same time good people are oppressed? Why did God say something I want to do is wrong? Why did God say I have to do something I don’t like to do?

Instead of trying to explain all the above, “Why?” questions (and there may be some Biblical and reasonable answers), I want us to consider our responses to when we can’t find or accept an answer. It’s hard to remember the basics of our faith when we have unanswered questions or are suffering (especially innocently). But in the midst of questions and even doubts, we need to try to pause and remember the foundation of our faith. Unanswered questions don’t change the answered questions that our faith is based on. We still see God’s eternal power and intelligence in creation (Ro 1:20). Biblical prophecy has historically been fulfilled (Lk 24:44). Jesus is proclaimed to be the Son of God by His witnessed resurrection from the dead (1 Co 15). Not only does the foundation of our faith not change by our challenging life circumstances, what we know to be true helps us deal with what we don’t know.

God’s historical goodness in Scripture helps us know that God is good even when we don’t have answers to all our, “Why?” questions. God’s expression of love in sending Jesus to die to save us steadies us when we don’t know why we have to deal with hate and loneliness. When we don’t know what’s going on in our lives and why it is happening – what we DO know about God and His promises helps us continue to believe and trust. How did Paul survive his struggles? He didn’t always know why, but he explained that “…our Savior Jesus Christ, has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel… For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day” (2 Ti 1:10-12).  dd