It Doesn't Make Sense, But It Does

I have a unique empathy for the non-Christian, especially the accomplished and productive ones, who look at the lives of people with faith and do not understand it. There are not enough measurables attached to it. Everything else in their life has made sense so far. They have worked hard and seen the fruit of it, have been disciplined and grown strong in character, and have learned as much as they could to become intelligent. But here come these people of faith, waving their flag in a different pattern, and it’s intriguing.

Even in the midst of a perfectly ordered life, there is something missing in the atheist’s life. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be interested. Christians say things like, “Trust God” and “Love God more than you love anything.” To someone with a life that has mostly made sense, that makes no sense. And yet, it does. Because you cannot take away the tangible experience of someone who has experienced God. In more beautiful words than I could explain, here is how the apostle Peter put it:

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:8-9)

Again, it doesn’t make sense to say that you love someone who you cannot see. And yet, God is the one who fills us with the greatest joys and purposes that nothing on this earth could satisfy, even from those closest to us. It’s why people dedicate their lives to living a harder life as a Christian, whether they live in the Bible belt of America or a persecuted country around the world. If it’s not real, it’s not worth paying attention to. But if it is real – as my old youth pastor used to say – it’s the biggest thing in the universe.

If you haven’t experienced the inexpressible and glorious joy that Peter is referencing, I would encourage you to seek him. If you have and are currently in a dry season (as we all experience), keep putting faith in God that he will restore your joy in him. When you do, you will be the light of the world that someone sees and wonders where it’s coming from. And you’ll get to tell them.