I have more questions than answers … and I want to keep it that way!
This might seem like an unusual approach to a podcast. I hope as begin this journey, you will see why. More questions than answers is the only response we should have if we have less than perfect understanding. None of us has perfect understanding therefore our posture must be to live in questions. This is an important time in history. There are plenty of voices out there. However, at the Family Collective we view our mission as helping to restore and discover the identity of everyone we come in contact. This could seem like too lofty a goal or mission – but we know we are not the source. We hope you will join us – think about questions with us so we can learn from each other.
So our first question is - Why should we approach our life with more questions than answers? We think there are several sound reasons – let’s explore a few of these:
1) We have all been told the moment we think we have all the answers we stop learning – and it is true – once we have formed an opinion on a subject, we tend to not explore new facts that might contradict our answers.
2) There is an old saying we are all ignorant - just in different areas. Certainly, this is true. This is why asking questions and listening is more important than talking. We have to work at listening well. We need to ask thoughtful questions to pull out the nuanced issues or personal history of the people we meet. It is a joy to learn about other people’s life journey. Our own life journey has a big impact on how each of us respond to our own questions. Have you ever met someone and after getting to know them better you thought? – wow – I would have never guessed all they overcame. It makes it harder to judge them when you hear their story.
3) Speaking of listening – we see a world so divided today. It feels like we are more committed to disproving the other person position than living ours. My dad always reminded me a person convinced against his will is of the same opinion still. We are in an increasingly, acrimonious world. Maybe we should call this the Age of Acrimony. This should make us sad. Remember the bible told us in Mark 8:18 – …having ears to hear but not hearing. We are certainly living in this kind of age.
4) I am not naïve we will never agree on all things. There is evil in this fallen world. However, we are to help the broken hearted. This requires us to feel and hear their pain not just their words. We are all family … part of God’s family. I don’t know about you but I have a few imperfect family members – including me. We must stay tender hearted toward the broken world around us.
5) The bible tells us clearly, we will have only partial understanding in this life! If we only know in part – we must stay in a posture of discovery. You may have forgotten this truth. I know I often need a reminder of this.
6) Sometimes as Christians, we come across as very dogmatic and unloving. We sometimes use the bible as our “bully pulpit” to judge others – this was never the intent. Truth will divide – but it is not our job to judge others.
Let’s look at two bible references regarding only knowing in part:
1 Corinthians 13:9-10, 12 - For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. For now, we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
Isaiah 55:8 - For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
It is clear none of us has the whole picture. Therefore, we must, at least for now, wrestle with some unanswered questions or imperfect answers. Discovering who God is and how His kingdom is different from ours is part of this journey in life.
Let me say it would be nice to have all the answers. In fact, not having answers causes most of us a fair amount of discomfort. We like neat fitting labels or classifications – us and them; right and wrong; conservative or liberal; blue or red. Reality is often not this tidy.
It is important for all of us to acknowledge the limits of each of our own understanding. It might even be possible this tension of less certainty exists for our betterment. What does this mean?
Less certainty in life should cause a few positive outcomes for us:
1) We should learn to be better listeners. We all need to learn from others – even those we disagree
2) We should continue to press into greater truth. What we know today or yesterday should grow as we become aware of new truth. A life of discovery is a healthy natural condition to this reality. God created mystery so we could pursue greater understanding. It does something to us to seek after and discover new things. It should bring us joy, more love for Him, for His kingdom and for our fellow man.
3) A life of discovery should also help us to remember our dependence on others – both people and God. If we think we have all the answers we don’t need others. We learn in lots of ways. While his truth is unchanging – our imperfect understanding of truth should be always changing.
4) God cares enough about the wellbeing of our souls’ to send us on a journey for our entire lifetime. It should lead us closer and closer to him and greater and greater truth. We can easily be distracted by the next new, fashionable idea of today. However, the next truth is not the only truth.
5) We have a great opportunity as Christ-followers to help point others to the source of lasting and redemptive truth and renewal in our inner man. However, we must carry an attitude of peace and love for one another. We must not be “walking concordances” looking for a fight, but growing children discovering new things with others.
6) This journey will require some humility too – I do not know it all. We might find this more attractive in others than in ourselves. Humility is a wonderful teacher – it is just not easy to volunteer for it.
This will take effort. It will lead to some detours and dead ends but we will learn to move with him. He is the only long term, real solution to our lack of understanding. We of our own accord will always end up in division and animosity. We compare ourselves with each other, we become jealous or hardened to helping others, but he always lifts us up. He patiently waits for us to hunger for more, to reach for Him and he always meets us.
How do we know he will meet us in our seeking? Again, the bible promises us.
1) Deuteronomy 4:29 - from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.
2) Proverbs 8:17 - I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.
3) Jeremiah 29:13 - You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
4) Matthew 7:7 - "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
5) Acts 17:28 – “In him, we live and move and have our being”
These are some of the greatest verses in the bible – if we seek Him, we will find him. He will not withhold the greater things from us. However, we must reach for HIM.
The world was made and designed by God – therefore He is the best source for us to seek greater understanding and wisdom and to learn from to live as we should in this world. It will never come from our understanding alone or our limited life experiences or even online computer searches. We must seek to discover how he continually and patiently draws us into his awesome plan. We each carry a unique part of his kingdom. He created each of us with a different journey, with different gifts and capabilities and our own assignments. Discover more of this about yourself and others – it will bring you lasting joy and a childlike wonder of the world he established.
Please share with us your thoughts in the comment section below. We hope this helps you discover your assignment and how your journey can help others. Come join us at thefamilycollective.co. Thank you.
