I love a good mystery. Mysteries have this amazing ability to suck us in and play with our emotions. We seem to love not knowing. Or perhaps we seem to love the idea that we will soon have all the answers to the questions. On the top of my computer I wrote a sticky note that says “It’s okay not to have all the answers.” This is a new challenge in my life that I am embracing. I am the type of person who needs all the questions answered, all the mystery revealed. And yet, as I look at the Bible and the story of Jesus, I see more questions than answers, more mystery than revelation.
One of the things that I love most about God is that I can’t understand him. I love it for two reasons: 1) If I could understand everything about God, I wouldn’t need faith. If I was drowning in a river, I don’t need a rock that I can handle; that I could pick up. I need a boulder that is bigger than I am; that I can cling to and won’t move. I couldn’t get through life if all I clung to was me because I am bitterly disappointing. So are people because they are just like me. I need something bigger than man to grab hold of. In short, I need God because he’s bigger than me. 2) I can’t be in awe of something I fully get and I need some awe in my life to keep me inspired and keep me going. A life without awe is a dry and sterile place.
The truth is, even though I work for God full-time as a pastor, I don’t fully understand Him. I don’t even understand myself, others or even life. I don’t know why some things happen to me and other things don’t. But I’m starting to be okay with that. I guess I want to encourage you, if you feel like you are in a raging river in your life, to know that God is bigger than we are and you can cling to him. If you aren’t in the middle of a mess right now, I want to encourage you to sit in awe of a God who is mysterious and who is weaving a rich tapestry that is your life. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God...” (New Living Translation)
Life, God, and faith are all mysteries to me. One day, I believe that I will stand before God and He will answer all my questions of “why” and I’m looking forward to that. Until then though, I will learn to enjoy living in the mystery.