Questioning faith

Start of a new year is always a good time to think about the year that’s been - and how different it has been to what we all expected!

I remember after coming home, from a year out to the other side of the world to try to get to know God better, my cousin Sam asked me if it had been everything I expected it to be.

I wanted to be honest, so I said no.
The closer I tried to get to God, the more I tried to understand Him - the more doubts and questions I had!

But ironically, the more questions I’ve asked and the more honest I’ve been, the more real God has become to me.

I’ve found asking questions - even if I don’t yet know the answers - really helpful in my relationship with God. I shared this on my Instagram last night, and put a space for people to ask questions/voice doubts they’ve had that aren’t necessarily cute or clever-sounding - but real to them. (Just to listen to them and chat about it, not to answer them...very slim chance of me having the answers!!)

Didn’t think many people would answer - but opened my phone this morning to about 40 messages with all sorts of questions and doubts.

Like what do you do when you just don’t believe it all anymore?
Why am I happiest when my hunger for God is at its smallest?
How does God allow the Bible to be twisted so much that is causes wars?
What do I do when I’ve drifted from God and just feel apathetic?
How literally am I supposed to take the Bible? Am I a heretic for not interpreting it in the way my more conservative friends do?

So today has been full of wonderfully refreshing, honest conversations. Who knows where they will lead, but I’ve enjoyed it far more than Bible studies I’ve done where you sit down and everyone gives the exact “correct” textbook answer.