Our Quest to Know

"I can't wrap my mind around that." The first time I heard that phrase it bothered me a bit. I wondered what was wrong with the good old-fashion admission: "That just doesn't make sense"? But then I thought about it and the more I did, the more I liked the whole getting my head around it idea. It visualizes the drive we have to make sense of our lives and the world we live in.

We tend not to like unsolved mysteries. Wise Solomon had it right when he wrote, "It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out" (Proverbs 25:2). Most people want to know the reason things happen, and the more unclear a matter is, the more anxious they may become until they have a feasible solution.

Sometimes that curiosity leads us to wonderful discoveries. Scientists have long searched the workings of the natural world around us. When I read of new things they have discerned about the human body, outer space, or the inner workings of molecules, I'm spellbound before the handiwork of our God and Creator.

It's not just the magnificent touch of God's hand upon the universe that can leave us awestruck, too. Sometimes our own lives -- or the lives of those around us -- experience perplexing things like sudden death, life-altering accidents, suicides, or extreme violence, of some sort. In these instances, we want to wrap our minds around something that may not be understandable -- at least not from our conventional wisdom.

In a world so vast, there are people everywhere who are daily trying to make sense of tragic events in their lives. Natural disasters, criminal acts, out-of-the-blue accidents can all impact our lives and send a shockwave to our thinking. When they do, we may ask, "Why is God treating me this way?" or "What is God trying to tell me through this?" That can be a dangerous game to play, especially when we demand an answer to our question.

The truth is we may never know why this or that happened -- or why it happened to us. Seeking answers is natural, but when no answer comes, then what? God puts our mind-wrapping quest in perspective when He says, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord" (Isaiah 55:8). This is a sobering thought ... and a liberating one, at the same time. Though we may demand answers from God to our life's circumstances, these may be answers that will never come -- at least not to our satisfaction. It is in these times that we most need to trust Him as a child trusts a loving parent.

What are some things you've tried to wrap your mind around? You can let us know by clicking here and telling us about it.