Do you sometimes find the Christian life confusing? Do you admit it to yourself? There seem to be long stretches of time where nothing makes sense. You have no answers to your questions, and definitely nothing for anyone else. Does it make you feel like less of a Christian when you are confused? If it makes you feel any better, even the prophets and kings of the bible felt the same way sometimes.
Habakkuk 1:2 says, “How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?” In Psalms 6:1-10, David asks God the same question…”My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord, how long?” v3.
We need to get honest with ourselves. Honesty and integrity go hand in hand. So many Christians are loath to admit that they can’t understand something. It makes them feel less spiritual, they want to have the answers to life’s problems, and to the questions of their non-christian friends. It can also make them feel like they might disappoint God. Living by faith is a challenge so many times. It feels better to have some answer, than no answer at all.
Don’t be afraid to admit your questions and confusion. Repressing your emotions will have long term consequences. They always bubble up later, they don’t go away. There is a difference between confronting the issue and dwelling on it. If you let something fester for a long period of time, it becomes all consuming and eventually corrodes the soul. Then faith disappears. Don’t be afraid to talk to God about it. He has the answers. So many of us rush to talk to another human that we forget to even ask God to help us. Delve into His word. Meditate on the scriptures. Talk to someone else as well, if you need to…nothing wrong with that…but don’t forget to talk to God. Becoming dependent on God is so important. Dependence on others and ourselves takes us further away from our faith.
Joshua 1:1-9, “Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” v9
The are times when we do ask God for an answer, and nothing seems to be coming. If we have the faith to ask God for the answers, we need to extend that faith to waiting for His time. He doesn’t always answer right away. Quite often that is because we aren’t actually ready to hear it. God can see the big picture. He can see your future. Habakkuk 1:5, “…I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” This was God’s answer to the question. Wow! Imagine what He has in store for you!! Be willing to wait. Be willing to spend the time conversing with your Creator. Ask Him questions, knowing He has the answers…also knowing that you will find out eventually. When you are ready. In His time….
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