Getting Over Certainty

I don't think anyone who knows me will be surprised to find out that I consider myself to be a logical, rational, thinking person - someone who makes decisions based on evidence, who comes to considered opinions, who doesn't make his mind up until he has facts to back it up, and who is prepared to change his mind, but only if careful analysis of the facts demonstrates that my understanding was flawed.

This has served me well so far, in most of my life. It certainly is helpful professionally - its what is expected of an accountant after all. But there are times, particularly when I'm dealing with God, where it really doesn't help me at all.

Because sometimes, God's ways are not subject to my careful logical rational analysis. Why should they be - after all, his ways and thoughts are higher than mine - they have to be, otherwise surely I too would be God!  

Sometimes its quite easy - this blog started after I got baptisted, which was something I knew I had to do, even though it didn't make logical or rational sense to me at the time - when God intervenes directly, when he tells me directly what I should be doing, then I can overide (with something of a fight) my rational side and get on with it.

But its harder when God doesn't tell me directly. When someone I trust, someone I know is going to be listening to Him tells me that they are sure God wants us to do something, but its something I don't understand, can't rationally comprehend, and don't "feel" it for myself either - thats when its hard.

Our "me-centric" culture says I should object, and object strongly. If someone thinks God wants something, and I don't get it, then they jolly well need to make me understand. God may have spoken to them, but He hasn't spoken to me, so why should I trust someone else? Its my opinion after all -- no-one else has the right to make up my mind for me, do they?

And yet, if its someone I trust, someone who I know wants nothing more than God's will, then, unless I have strong reasons, strong God-given doubts - unless God clearly tells me that this is not what he wants, then the community-way has to be trust - to accept that person's decision, and to whole-heartedly through myself behind their proposal - to accept that somethings will never be certain, because the mind of God is something we can never fully know.