“Human language can but imperfectly describe God’s ways.  I am sensible of the fact that they are indescribable and inscrutable.  But if mortal man will dare to describe them, he has no better medium than his own inarticulate speech.” – Mahatma Gandhi

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts and neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.  As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55: 8-9 NIV

“Can you fathom the mysteries of God?  Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?  They are higher than the heavens – what can you do?  They are deeper than the depths of the grave – what can you know?  There measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.” – Job speaking in Job 11:7-9 NIV

So many of us miss out on God due to our ego – believing our human mind and our own reasoning hold precedence over whether or not God is real or truly exists – whether or not He is worthy of following.

Human reasoning says ….If God were real and loving, why does He allow His creation to suffer?  How can the errant acts of just two human beings (Adam and Eve) dictate the fate and destiny of all mankind?  Does that seem fair-minded and reasonable?

How can one of His commandments to us be “Thou Shalt not Kill” – yet there are examples in Scripture where He commands entire nations be wiped out and slaughtered?  How can Christ tell us that we need to forgive “seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:21-22) – that our own sins will not be forgiven unless we forgive others (Matthew 6:15) – yet God will permanently and forever throw many into “a fiery lake of burning sulfur” (Revelation 21:8) for their cowardly unbelief?

How can a Holy God be a jealous God?  Can good men and women, the likes of Benazir Bhutto, the Dalai Lama, Mahatma Gandhi, Anne Frank, and Malala Yousafzai be sentenced to eternal damnation due to their failure to believe in Christ?   How can the ultimate sacrifice of the Son of God at Calvary – an atonement for the sins of all mankind – fall short of being able to save the likes of men and women who made this world a better place?

Can you see how it can become so easy to rationalize the contradictions?  Can you see how relatively easy it is to discount Christianity, to denounce God as a prejudicial bigot, and to give up entirely on searching out who He really is?

So, so many good, decent people give up on God – based on what they see on the surface, how they weigh the facts in their own minds, and how they eventually interpret the ambiguity behind what looks like contradiction and paradox.

Like I mentioned at the start, ego plays a tremendous role – believing that we can humanly explain and rationalize what is truly beyond our capability to understand when it comes to divinity – the measure of which is “longer than the earth and wider than the sea”, as Job stated earlier.

It takes humility and faith to hold onto God in the midst of what seems irrational, irresponsible, and contradictory.

Now….to the non-Christian, this seems like a cheap answer – a foolish, naïve, and unsophisticated response to what cannot be humanly rationalized or reasoned out.  If you cannot easily explain it, then it must not be true.  If the story or belief has so many obvious holes in it, how can you believe it to be accurate and authentic?

All I can tell you my friend is that I don’t know the answers.  I would be lying to you if I were to tell you that what I mentioned above has not crossed my own mind and weighed on my own heart.  But what I have come to realize is how limited I am in my own ability to figure it all out on my own.

I have seen how tremendously valuable humility is – not only in this regard, but in so many other aspects of life.  To say, “I don’t know” or “I don’t have all the answers” or “I don’t understand” is a very precious and valuable place to be 🙂 It places us in a state of awe, of gratitude and in a mindset of openness, honesty, and sincerity.  When we believe we don’t have all the answers, we settle ourselves in a place of learning and growth.

Think about the love and humility God must have – to allow us to form our own thoughts, to make our own conclusions, and to ponder our own belief systems apart from Him.  I see this kind of conscious restraint, this type of tender and benevolent allowance as an ultimate sign of His character – filled with unconditional love.  Here is the sovereign, omniscient, and almighty God of the Universe relinquishing His power – humbly giving us the ability to think on our own.

I am foolish if I think I can understand what is divine, holy, and beyond human reasoning.  It may make no sense to me, but I am humbly willing to release my ego to God – understanding that He is all He says He is despite what looms in the hearts of humankind.

To do this also requires a level of faith and trust – two virtues that along with humility, bring us so much peace and comfort. 

Again, to those who must reason it all out within their own minds, individuality, self-centeredness, and self-importance become more valuable – believing our own opinions, beliefs, and conclusions outweigh the virtues of faith and trust.

There are so many things I humbly cannot explain, but I am willing to trust God – that what is inscrutable or indescribable to me is in His capable Hands.  When I see the contradiction and cannot humanly reason out what everything means, I am willing to have faith that God’s thoughts and ways are higher than mine.

Don’t miss out on seeking God – developing a relationship with Him – based on your own ego and human reasoning.  Humbly let go, have faith, and trust that all is transpiring within His perfect plan and timing for you – regardless and outside of your ability to comprehend or rationalize it.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart.  Lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.” – Proverbs 3: 5-6 NIV