Questioning God is a complex issue that requires wisdom and discernment. On one hand, the Bible makes it clear that God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and His ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). As finite human beings with limited perspective, we will never fully comprehend an infinite God. Therefore, there is a place for humility and trust when it comes to understanding God’s actions and commands.
On the other hand, the Bible shows followers of God wrestling with questions, even expressing confusion, anguish, and anger in response to difficult circumstances they did not understand. Job questioned God as to why he was suffering (Job 7:20). The psalmists often cried out to God, asking Him to make sense of their pain or perceived absence (Psalm 13:1). Jesus Himself even uttered the agonizing words from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).
Based on examples like these, we can conclude that honestly bringing our questions to God is not necessarily a sin. In fact, it can be healthy to express our true feelings of pain, sadness, anger, or doubt to God rather than suppress them. The Bible says we can boldly approach God’s throne to “receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). God is big enough to handle our doubts, confusion and raw emotions. He would rather we bring these things to Him openly than ignore them or allow them to become stumbling blocks in our faith.
However, the attitude behind our questioning makes all the difference. There is a clear distinction between sincerely looking to God for understanding from a place of humility, versus challenging God out of a demanding spirit of accusation or entitlement. Additionally, we must remember that God is God and we are not. Even in the midst of pain, we do not have the right to make demands of the Creator of the universe or impose our limited understanding upon His sovereign will.
In summary, questions should be brought to God, but they should be brought with the right heart attitude. We approach Him not as judge, but as children approach their Father, trusting Him for wisdom and direction even when we lack full understanding. God promises that when we seek Him with sincerity, He will be found (Jeremiah 29:13). But we also must rest in the knowledge that His ways are higher than our ways, and in the end, He will make all things right (Isaiah 55:8-9; Romans 8:28).
When looking at examples of questioning God in the Bible, we see the element of openness to God’s response and willingness to humbly listen as key factors that made the questioning acceptable. For instance, in the passage of Job 38-42, God responds to Job’s anguished pleas with a lengthy monologue about the intricacies of creation and His power over all things. Job humbly replies, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5-6). Job opened himself up to truly encounter God, and God reciprocated by revealing more of Himself to Job. But the questioning had to come from a posture of humility, not arrogance.
In contrast, questioning God from a defiant or cynical posture closes off understanding and distances us from our Creator. We see this demonstrated vividly in the Fall, when the serpent tempted Eve to question and challenge God’s clear command regarding the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:1-7). Questioning what God said from a stance of suspicion and distrust separated the first humans from intimacy with Him. Their defiant questioning resulted in damaged relationship and painful consequences.
The book of Malachi contains strong rebukes from God towards His people because they had adopted entitled, cynical attitudes, saying things like, “It is futile to serve God…” and questioning, “Where is the God of justice?” (Malachi 2:17, 3:13-15). God responded by reminding them of His love and faithfulness towards those who trust and revere Him. He then called them to return to Him with sincere questioning rather than defiant challenging.
Based on principles and examples throughout Scripture, below are some guidelines on keeping our questioning free from an unhealthy, accusatory tone:
- Remember that God is good, loving and just. Any suspicion that casts doubt on His goodness and love is dangerous (1 John 4:8).
- Come to God from a heart posture of humility, sincerely seeking wisdom and understanding like a child looks to a good father to provide care and instruction (Matthew 7:7-11).
- Be willing to listen to God’s response. Recognize that His ways are higher than our ways, and be open to having Him shape your perspective (Isaiah 55:8-9).
- Rest in God’s sovereignty, knowing He works all things for our good even when we cannot possibly understand how (Romans 8:28).
- Avoid a sense of entitlement, recognizing God does not owe us anything and has absolute authority to work as He chooses (Job 41:11).
- Continually cultivate trust in God’s character and test all doubts and suspicions against what Scripture clearly says about who God is.
As long as we approach God with humility and openness to His response, we can be assured that honest questioning will draw us deeper in relationship with Him. God is not intimidated by our doubts. He would rather walk with us through them than have us suppress struggles that could undermine our faith if left unaddressed. Yes, there are defiant ways of questioning God that dishonor Him. But sincere, humble seeking is what He invites us into. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).
Beyond questions, God also invites our laments during times of pain and struggle. The Psalms are filled with raw cries of despair, confusion, and plea for God to make Himself known amidst suffering. We see the psalmists questioning God but also declaring trust in His character and redemption. “Why, my soul, are you downcast?…Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 42:5, 11). We are encouraged to bring our honest lament before God while holding onto faith that His compassion and sovereignty will see us through.
In his excellent book, Walking with God through Pain and Suffering, Tim Keller points out that honest lament leads to deeper intimacy with God. Suffering prompts us to lean into God with more urgency and sincerity. Crying out our rawest questions and emotions Cultivates authenticity with our Creator. It leads us into a deeper understanding of His character as we walk through trials in trust-filled dependence. Rather than driving us from Him, sincere lament draws us to Him.
Keller sums it up beautifully: “God invites us to struggle and question and wrestle in our night of darkness. God wants us to cry out our curses and complaints. God can ‘handle’ our explosions of rage…. Through the process of honest lamentation, the believer will come to a deeper level of wisdom.” When questioning comes from a posture of humility and openness rather than accusation or entitlement, it can deepen our connection with our heavenly Father in remarkable ways.
In conclusion, is it wrong to question God? No – not inherently. But the attitude behind the questioning makes all the difference. God welcomes sincere seeking and raw wrestlings with doubt. His own Word gives us many examples of champions of faith crying out real, hard questions from a place of trust in God’s character. But defiant, cynical questioning rooted in distorting God’s goodness and sovereignty damages intimacy with Him. As we walk through pain and confusion in this fallen world, may God grant us the discernment to question honestly while leaning into Him with humility and hope. And may we rest in the faithful compassion of our Father who invites us to seek Him, knowing He will respond with grace and the wisdom we lack but so desperately need.