The Three Words I Tell Students

7 “Can you solve the mysteries of God?
    Can you discover everything about the Almighty?
8 Such knowledge is higher than the heavens—
    and who are you?
It is deeper than the underworld—
    what do you know? (Job 11:7-8)

Always leave room for mystery in your faith. There are indisputable matters we can be sure of when speaking of God – compassion, love, grace over deeds, His patience – but there are far more things we do not understand and this is the most wonderful of things. In order for God to be King, we must be stumped at many if not most of His ways. How boring life would be if we knew it all. This is also a calling card of a vibrant walk – that we are discovering more and more about Him and His presence. In this mystery, we have the opportunity to draw nearer and to know Christ more intimately. What most glorious of things! It is in this mystery, we understand our place as confused children and His rightful place of Lord of all. “and who are you?” is as important for us to remember as it was in Job’s time.

Perhaps the most powerful statement within church walls should be “I don’t know”. How affirming this would be to outsiders while pushing believers to dig deeper into the well of faith. Ministry gives us a certain credibility. The congregation looks to us as stewards of Truth. In other words, we are to be equipped to answer any question. In student ministry, I find myself both encouraged and at a loss for the questions I am asked. It is a passion of mine to develop kids who ask great questions, and while I was younger to the position, I always tried to have an answer. Now, I have resigned on surrendering these inquisitions to the Spirit. Granted, we must speak boldly on that which we do know, but there should always be room for mystery in our students hearts. Otherwise, when they reach college, their paper doll faith will disintegrate under the weight of what they thought they were sure of.

Today, how mysterious is your God? Is He bigger than thought and reason? This is the God we worship – the One who reigns above the rule of man, performing daily miracles and piercing the hardest of sinners hearts.