Episode #402: An Act of Faith: Asking the Hard Thing – Becoming Childlike

If you've spent any time around kids, then you already know that children ask questions adults have learned not to ask. Why is that man crying? Why don't you like her? How much money do we have? Why did God let that happen?

Somewhere along the way, as we mature into adults, we start running our questions through a filter before we say them out loud. And in regular, everyday life circumstances, for the most part, that filter serves us really well. Unfortunately, though, sometimes we start applying that filter to our conversations with God. And we start holding back questions that we legitimately have but we're afraid to ask Him. But the beautiful thing is that Scripture is full of startlingly uncomfortable questions.

Biblical writers don't show us these perfectly sanitized prayers. Instead, they show us evidence of wonderings out loud before the Lord of “how long?” and “why?” and “where are you, God?”, and “have you forgotten me?”

One example of this comes from the book of Habakkuk, and I'm gonna start by reading us verses 2 and 3 from chapter 1. It's a complaint to the Lord.

"How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, 'Violence!' But you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me. There is strife, and conflict abounds."

Now, a lot of us can probably resonate with this prayer, with this complaint, with these questions before the Lord. How long do I need to call out to you about the violence, about the injustice? How long do I have to tolerate this hardship that is going on in my life and in the world? 

If I look back on past seasons, I would have assumed that God's response to this would have been harsh, and maybe not even a direct response, maybe just correction, maybe avoiding the needs that are being communicated.

But I'm gonna skip down for us to the Lord's answer in verse 5.

"Look at the nations and watch, and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told."

Now, the response here is probably not what was expected in that day and time, but the Lord was responding. He says, "You have been calling out to me. Look and see how I will respond to you."

There's another example of this that I love, that we see in Jesus engaging in a conversation with a man whose son needed to be healed. It's recorded for us in Mark chapter 9.

And the man says to Jesus, "If you can do anything, please help my son." And Jesus responds, "If I can? Everything is possible for one who believes." And then in verse 24 of Matthew 9, it says, "Immediately, the boy's father exclaimed, 'I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.'" 

I love thinking about this conversation in the same context because the example here is not of a father coming with perfect belief. It's a father coming honestly before the Lord and saying, "I believe you, and also, I need help for the ways that I still struggle to believe."

So often there's that mix in our questions, right? "I want to believe this is true about you," or "I know it and I believe it in part, but not fully, and so I have a question about that. I need your help here." And God doesn't get uncomfortable with our need. He is not uncomfortable with our questions. But we can be, right? We're the ones that worry that the question is too angry or doubtful or embarrassing or messy. But God knows that it's there, and so even the avoidance of the question is really just avoiding acknowledging the elephant in the room. And so that's a perfect opportunity to turn that situation around and use it as a way to talk with God.

An honest question brought before God is an act of faith. It's an act of trust. It's an act of dependence. God welcomes even our most uncomfortable questions. And so instead of withholding what can feel like these forbidden questions that you can't bring to God, let it be a moment that helps propel you toward Him instead.

And the question that I would encourage you to ask God is, "God, what question have I been afraid to ask you?" And then as He prompts awareness in your heart or your mind, as He brings something to your remembrance, ask Him the question.

But if that feels like too much to jump right into asking Him, then talk with Him about why that's hard for you. Share with Him experiences that you've had in church before or ways that you've tried asking Him hard things and have left feeling less than answered. Talk to Him about your hesitancy, your worry, your grief, and ask for His help in navigating what you can do next.

So here's that question one more time:

God, what question have I been afraid to ask you? 

He'll meet you there. 

Have a good talk.

And if you've been encouraged by this content, please share it with a friend and help them grow in their conversational relationship with God too!

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