Following Jesus with Unanswered Questions

Following Jesus isn't about becoming omniscient, but faithful. When we avoid difficult questions, our faith becomes brittle and fearful. But when we open ourselves to facing them, we can become overwhelmed and uncertain. Jesus invites us to trust him even when we don't fully understand how to make sense of our experiences and doubts. Our faith isn't measured by how many questions we can answer but by how fully we receive and share God's love.

To imitate Jesus' faithfulness in the midst of uncertainty so that unanswered questions don't keep us from loving God and others.

How Many Questions Do I Need to Answer?

I recently talked with a friend at church. He confirmed that I lead a class where we discuss any and all questions, that I'd engaged in multiple years of graduate theological study, and that I regularly study apologetics. He then asked if he could share some of his doubts with me. I told him that was the kind of thing I liked to discuss.

But about ten minutes later, my head was spinning. He had intensively thought through some of the most difficult passages in the Bible, raised a series of scorching questions, and organized his concerns into a series of interlocking challenges. Further, he presented his thoughts in the friendliest, most respectful manner. I understood why he lived with doubt.

As I drove home, I asked myself what to do with his questions. Should I set aside a few hours each night to read books, study commentaries, and dismantle each of his objections? Should I try to drive the conversation out of my memory and pretend it never happened? What if I tried to answer his doubts and realized that I couldn't?

I came to a point of peace when I realized that even if I answered all of his questions, another hundred thousand would remain. And is it my responsibility to become aware of every significant objection to my faith, reflect on it in an intellectually honest manner, and only then decide if I want to follow Jesus?

Of course, it matters to me if Christianity is true or not, and if there are reasons to believe Jesus rose from the dead or not. Yet we have many responsibilities in life, and it is not necessary for someone to have conducted an exhaustive philosophical investigation before responding to God's personal invitation to live in his loving presence.

Nevertheless, it is harder to sacrificially follow Jesus if we are uncertain that he is Lord. If I'm not sure I have enough gas to complete a trip, I'm less likely to get in the car. Especially now, when we can ask AI any question at all, and get a plausible-sounding answer within seconds. We are increasingly habituated to feeling that we ought to have answers to any question.

At the same time, are Christians the only ones who live with doubt? If I were to abandon my faith, would I be completely certain that atheism, agnosticism, hedonism, or some other approach to life was good, beautiful, and true?

So what does it look like to grow to spiritual maturity when doubts are an inevitable part of life?

The Faithfulness of Jesus

Perhaps most of our questions are not about philosophical debates but whether we can rely on God. Jesus invited his disciples to consider the birds and flowers, and meditate on God's care for their needs. He then reasoned with them: if God cares for these lesser things, won't he provide for you, too? Therefore, we can have every confidence to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness (Matthew 6:25-34).

When an expert in the law sought to create division, he asked Jesus to identify the greatest command in the Law. It's a convenient question, because if we don't know what obedience looks like, then we don't have to obey! Jesus provides the clearest, most beautiful ethical guidance in all of human history: Wholeheartedly love God and your neighbor (Matthew 22:34-39).

At the start of Acts, we see that the disciples' understanding of the Scriptures led them to reason that, in light of Jesus' resurrection and the arrival of God's Spirit, Israel would soon be restored. Instead of answering their questions about dates and times, Jesus refocuses them on bearing witness to him, by the power of the Spirit, to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:7-8). Imagine the disorientation they felt! Somehow, Jesus was fulfilling their deepest hopes, but in a way that confused them. Nevertheless, they trusted the risen Lord and boldly followed his commands.

In Jesus' own most difficult moment, he prayed to see if there was a way for his suffering to be avoided. We are not told that he received an answer, yet he remained committed: "Yet not as I will, but as you will" (Matthew 26:39). Even as the disciples fell asleep, Jesus remained alert and engaged with his mission.

The Anchor in the Storm

God never promises to answer all our questions.

Consider Job, who lost his wealth, health, status, family, and friends. At the end of it, God does not answer Job's questions, but instead asks Job a series of questions that reveal Job's limited perspective. Job can only reply, "I had heard reports about you, but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore, I reject my words and am sorry for them; I am dust and ashes" (Job 42:5-6).

Throughout the Scriptures, when God's people were in the dark, wondering if they had been abandoned, God did not meet their need to understand with a Big Book of Bible Answers. Instead, he personally showed up in their lives, from the deliverance from Egypt to the resettlement of Jerusalem to, ultimately, the incarnation of Jesus.

In our uncertain world, storms are inevitable. Jesus knows that the only way through them is to build our lives on him and his words (Matthew 7:24-27). And when we're with Jesus, we want to be like him. The goal of the Christian life isn't to be walking encyclopedias, but living imitations of Christ.

Yes, part of our responsibility is to be intellectually engaged with doubts and questions. But even this is an overflow of our fundamental commitment to love God with all our minds, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Ultimately, knowing the God of love is the Greatest Answer we could ask for.

What Does This Look Like?

It's one thing to know what to do, but it's another to know how to do it. We can stay grounded in our faith in the midst of questions when we practice five habits:

**We write down our questions.** Instead of an endless cycle of rumination, the habit of writing clarifies exactly why we're doubting God. This makes it much easier for us to pray, do research, or talk with a friend.

**We evaluate our questions.** We can organize our doubts into core, convictional, and conscientious buckets. If we're unsure about Jesus being God, this deserves more investigation than uncertainty about the mode of baptism or what translation of the Bible to use.

**We rely on our community.** Christian friendships should be characterized by curiosity, acceptance, empathy, and encouragement. Instead of trying to eliminate doubts, we attempt to have good conversations as we seek truth together.

**We act on our convictions.** Even as we journey with unanswered questions, we can still love God and our neighbors.

**We live with healthy rhythms.** There's a time and a place to study. Searching for the truth is important! But it's also important to show up to work, take care of chores, read our Bibles, worship at church, and get sleep. We don't have to make doubts an existential crisis (though when they feel that way, we reach out for support).

These habits aren't a guaranteed fix, but they are ways we can stay faithful to God even as we live with mystery, confusion, and uncertainty.

Help My Unbelief

Listen to Ennie Olajide's performance of "Help My Unbelief"

God of truth and love, I bring to you not only my questions but myself. I need to know that you are with me, that you care about me, and that you can handle my doubts. I do believe, but please, God, help my unbelief. Give me the strength to love you and love my neighbor even when I feel like I am walking in the darkness. In Christ's name, Amen.