Wrestling With the Big Issues … Nothing New Here

How can a loving God send people to hell? Why does so much bad stuff exist in this world? I am not sure if there is a God. I want solid proof of the truth, truth I can logically grasp and reason with. Why are there conflicts within Scripture? Why don’t miracles happen today like they did in Biblical times?

These questions are not new. And people have wrestled with them for millennia. I have gone to school for two and a half decades. I have worked on degrees of religion and biblical studies at undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. The more I learn, the more I realize there are so many more questions with which to wrestle.

So recently, why is it that a few influencers in the Christian worship and leadership spectrum have given up on finding these answers and are now leaving the ministry they have done for years, even leaving the faith they have had … and they seem to get headlines in doing this?

People ‘leaving the faith’ is also not new. We all go through difficult seasons that shake our foundations and challenge our faith. But for these drifters/wilderness wonderers/backsliders (or even labeled apostates by some) … for these to say these tough issues are not being addressed are deceiving themselves. They are … and these questions get asked to pastors by struggling church members and seekers every week. I have church families struggling with life and death issues … faith-shaking circumstances … and soul searching challenges all the time.

People ‘leaving the faith’ is also not new. We all go through difficult seasons that shake our foundations and challenge our faith.

And yes, sometimes I give answers that seem trite and insufficient. I wish I knew all the answers … after all, I’m the degreed, ordained, trained man of the Word … I should have the answers. Nope, not gonna happen.

An excellent interview was given to John L Cooper, Skillet’s lead singer. He gave some good insight … (I adapted a bit)

• Stop making worship leaders, influencers, and ‘cool’ people the most influential. They have important roles, creating moments and opportunities for God to speak. But people will disappoint us. Their influence is real, but should not be everything.
• These issues are not new. The Church has wrestled with them for 2000 years. So just because you don’t have answers, doesn’t mean answers aren’t out there … and some answers we will never have. That’s why they call it faith.
• Why do you have to be so public about your ‘new direction in life’? Why do we have to share everything these days, especially so publicly? I get the struggles, but maybe some personal reflection, seeking wisdom from your circle of people you respect, and wise mentors would be a better way to deal.
• And we need to be praying for our pastors, our worship leaders, those in the limelight, and others that have such a platform. Their role and their impact reaches so many. They are targets and we need to always be pray for hedges of protection, for wise counsel in their lives, and that they would be given faith that is real and powerful. (Do you see these three prayer requests … they are about influencing the influencers.)

I will say this … I don’t have all answers of ‘why’ or ‘how’ or ‘what’ … but I do have ‘who’ … and that who is Jesus.

And I will trust in Him. Lord give me more faith that I can trust you more.

Have a great weekend.