Thursday, June 10, 2010

Crucifying Your “Whys”
By Elin Henderson

“And they straightway left their nets and followed Him.”
Matthew 4:20 (NKJV)
Martin Luther is quoted as saying, “A true believer will crucify the question ‘Why?’ He will obey without questioning.”(1) I recently read that and began to examine my own life and asked myself, “What are some of the ‘whys’ in my life?” As I did this, I saw how very easy it is to ask “why” and very hard to simply leave my nets and follow!

So, what is so wrong about asking “why”? Didn’t David do it repetitively throughout the Psalms? “Why do the heathen rage?” (Psalms 2:1). “Why do You stand afar off, O Lord?” (Psalms 10:1). “Why have You withdrawn your hand, even Your right hand?” (Psalms 74:1). Even Jesus asked “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). There is a place for saying to the Lord, “In my humanness, I don’t understand why! I am really struggling with this!” Even Jesus did that. It is an honest admitting of where we are at and God understands that. The question then becomes, where do we go from there. Do we remain in this “why” state or do we say like David, “But I will hope continually and will yet praise You more and more” (Psalms 71:14). Or, do we follow like Peter did out onto the water.

What are some potential negatives that asking “why” can do? First, it delays obedience. If we have to have an explanation for everything we are going to do then we are probably going to delay in obeying it. It also questions our Creator God (His ways, paths, plans, motives)! It shows our pride and our doubt that He can handle this or has the right plan in mind. Finally, it demands that God owes us an explanation and cannot (in His sovereignty) direct without consulting us first or explaining it in advance.

May we be like many of the patriarchs and disciples of old who just said “yes” and followed, no questions asked! May we be willing to humble ourselves and say, “Yes, Lord, I will obey and not wait for the answer to the “why.” If, in Your time, You decide to give me a glimpse into the motives behind this, then I will consider it a blessing and not an obligation on Your part. I trust you completely.”

GOING DEEPER:
1. What “whys” have you been holding on to? As you identify them, what truths about God can you apply to them to put an end to the questions and start resting and obeying?

FURTHER READING:
Psalms 22; Genesis 17:23

(1) from “Streams in the Desert,” Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI. pg. 147.

Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson and her husband Phil serve as church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa. Elin is mother to ten-year-old Callie and seven-year-old Elias.
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