HONORING CHRIST AS KING: What Happens when our Questions are not Answered

 

Coming to Christ is like inaugurating a new king. While before, our minds and desires reigned supreme, now we submit our lives to serve the king.

 

This means that Christ’s Words, the Bible, have now become my Words, my marching orders. It also means that when I don’t like His Words, I attribute this dislike to my lack of understanding them and not to any inherent fault in these Words. I allow the Word to judge rather than me sitting in judgment over the Word.

 

I have set aside my need to understand certain passages to await my growth to catch up. Later, I have found my patience to have been amply rewarded.

 

One common example: The Bible has a consistently negative and depressing portrayal of humanity. It needs to be more positive, I thought. However, the closer I came to the exposing light of the Lord, I began to see what I had repressed, and found that I was unworthy of the Lord.

 

But rather than crushing me, it freed me from obsessively trying to convince myself and others that I was worthy of heaven. Instead, my eyes were opening to a deeper insight and a greater appreciation for the love, protection, and forgiveness of my Savior. Despite my utter unworthiness, He loves unworthy me with a love that transcends all understanding (Ephesians 3:19). Consequently, since I no longer need to defend myself, I have tossed aside my mask in favor of freedom. If God loves me, who am I not to accept myself and to lust after the approval of others!

 

Another common example: The Bible taught that I had to be as holy as Christ is holy. How self-defeating and depressing! Such a requirement condemns me to continuous failure and disappointment. After all, doesn’t God want me to love myself! Therefore, the Word must be mistaken, right?

 

Later, I discovered that it was I who had been mistaken. Instead, I needed to first be humbled by the Word to be uplifted by my Savior afterwards. This has taught me to depend upon Jesus and not on me and my abilities. What a relief!

 

There are many examples of the same principle. When we put God and His Word first, He puts us first:

 

·       Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you…Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:8, 10)

 

I still have many questions, but I am willing to wait, even if the answers will have to await the next life.