God Gives You A Space To Question

A young man experienced a profound loss when his father passed away at a young age. He was told that the emotions of grief would eventually subside. However, what he wasn't told was how many times those emotions would resurface. With each passing day and every subtle reminder of his father, the pain grew stronger. Unbeknownst to him, a wedge of questions began to form between him and his faith. He wondered, "How could God allow this?" and "Why did my father's loss happen?"

As the days turned into months, a wedge of questions began to create a gap in his relationship with God. This new normal of feeling emotionally empty and spiritually frustrated troubled the young man. Rather than allow the grief cycle to take hold of him once again, he decided to reach out to a minister for some help.

What the pastor told him not only provided immediate relief but also paved the way for God's peace amidst his storm of grief. The seasoned minister encouraged the young man to bring his questions to God. He explained that God has broad shoulders and can handle any questions or doubts he may have about grief, pain, and anything else, for that matter.
Scripture gives evidence of the pastor's counsel. In the book of Judges, we find Gideon in hiding, questioning God's whereabouts while Israel suffers under severe oppression from the Midianites. Judges 6:6 says, "Israel was brought very low because of Midian." When we are introduced to Gideon in this account, he is threshing wheat in a winepress. This is significant because wheat is normally threshed in an open, elevated area so the person can effectively separate the grain from the chaff. Gideon is there because he doesn't want the Midianites to see him. He's there because he's living under oppression and he is afraid. However, heaven doesn't see this as Gideon being faithless or unfaithful.  

Judges 6:11-13 records, "Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, 'The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.' 13 And Gideon said to him, 'Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying,…”

Notice that God approached Gideon and provided him with the space to question his circumstances. Just as the minister counseled the grieving young man, God allows Gideon to process life's emotional pain through similar questions. God referred to Gideon as a mighty warrior, not as a wimp. He reminded Gideon of his purpose rather than imposing a religious punishment for having questions about his pain.
The Lord meets us in the midst of our struggles. He reminds us of our purpose and gives us the space to question Him. This openness leads to healing and ultimately brings us His peace.

Understanding this, we should offer unwavering support to those we know who are suffering, especially those who have lost someone. Avoid allowing misguided theological beliefs to pass judgment or lead to the use of inaccurate spiritual clichés, as these can be cold and unhealthy.

Thank God for the space of transparency He gives to us as we process our pains in this life.