Mystery

God is more complex than our understanding…and that’s a good thing.

Some things in life are beyond our ability to completely know and understand. For example, if you were alive on November 22, 1963, you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing when you heard that President John F. Kennedy had been shot.

In the 53 years since then, numerous books have been written, investigations done, and theories developed to answer one crucial question about that day…who did it? Who was behind the shooting of the president?

The short answer is we don’t know. Was it Lee Harvey Oswald acting alone? Was it the Cubans? The Soviets? The Mob? The CIA? Or even, as my wife suspects, LBJ? Who was behind the assassination of the President of the United States? We don’t know for sure.

But, we do know that JFK was shot and killed, and it was a defining time in the history of our nation. Not knowing who did it does not keep us from knowing about the impact of the event on the nation. That is a complex topic, yet we can see the effects even if we don’t understand everything that happened.

So it is with God. Just because we cannot fully understand who He is and how He works and why He does what He does, does not mean that we cannot interact with Him, know Him, and serve Him faithfully and fruitfully. Even though God is more complex than our finite minds can fully understand, we can still know Him as He has revealed Himself to us.

If I could fully understand God, He would be a pretty small God. I can’t even fully understand my lovely wife. I say things when I should have been quiet. And, I’m quiet when I should have given reassuring words and a comforting hugs. I get it wrong often with my wife. She is more complex than I have fully been able to grasp. I know her better now after 23 years of marriage. But, I don’t understand every nuance of who she is and how she works. I’m still learning.

God is even more complex than my wife. He is bigger, grander, more majestic than anything or anyone. His knowledge is deeper. His power is greater. His presence is nearer. His love is eternal. His grace is matchless. His actions are always right but not always fully understood. God is more complex than I can fully grasp.

How is that a good thing?

It’s a good thing because it means He is bigger than my little mind. It means He can accomplish things that I would have never dreamed up. It’s a good thing because it shows that His perspective is better than my perspective. So, when He acts, He sees every impact and repercussion of the decision He is making. I do not have that viewpoint. It’s good because it means He is God and I am not.