Any Questions?

One of my favorite parts of a class is when the teacher asks, “Any Questions?” Why? Because I usually have questions.

Questions are how we learn. But for the longest time, I was afraid to ask questions! I was afraid of what others might think of me. What if I was the only one who didn’t understand?

Thankfully one of my teachers said, “The only dumb question is the one you don’t ask.” And when I began to ask, I discovered that others had questions, too.

Often, after class, classmates came up and said to me, “I’m glad you asked that because I wondered about it also.” Why didn’t they ask? They were afraid.

I’ll never forget one dear lady who came to me once with a concern. “I know we’re not supposed to question God,” she began, “but why did God…” and then she expressed her doubt.

I thought, “Who said that? Who said we’re not supposed to question God? Who denied this hurting woman an answer to her question?”

“Now hold on just a minute! Everyone knows you’re not supposed to question God!”

Oh? Maybe you heard someone say it, but where did the idea come from? The Bible doesn’t teach it. It’s not in the Ten Commandments. Jesus didn’t forbid it. So where do we get it?

I’m not sure. But I do know that God invites us to use the minds he gave us. Jesus loved to ask questions. He invited people to think. Nowhere does the Bible encourage blind faith in God.

In the prophet Isaiah we read, “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord.”

The Apostle Peter reminds Christians to welcome questions. He says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

Now the Bible does teach that God is a good God. In fact Jesus says, “No one is good—except God alone.” The Bible also says, “The Lord is good to all.” It reminds us, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”

Knowing that, it would be wrong to question God’s motives. But nowhere does the Bible say it is wrong to try to understand what God is doing in our lives.

Many times I have prayed, “Lord, help me understand what you are doing in this situation so I can work with you and accomplish your will.” It gets me thinking about God’s will, not mine.

One of the areas we question the most is suffering. Why does God permit his children to suffer? That’s a good question to ask, because God gives us answers in the Bible.

Often God uses suffering to get our attention. It’s not always punishment for disobedience, but it can be. To be sure, check your life. Ask God to show you if you’re doing wrong. Then, if you are, repent and turn back to him. In that case, suffering brought you closer to God.

Sometimes suffering makes us more like Jesus. God allowed him to suffer so we shouldn’t expect to be exempt. Plus it produces obedience and perseverance in us--good qualities we need.

Other times suffering develops our compassion. The Bible says that when God helps us, “we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”

Suffering can even provide opportunities to share our faith and point others to the one the Bible calls, “The God of all comfort.”

These are just a few examples of the answers in God’s Word. I’m sure you can find many more if you will read your Bible regularly. If it’s gotten dusty, it’s time to find it and read it!

And the next time you have a question, don’t be afraid to ask! Any questions?

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!