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Reason vs Belief

Updated: Apr 18, 2022

The lead Scripture for this post is found in Proverbs 3:5-6 AMP


5."Trust in and rely confidently on the LORD with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

6. In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, and He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way]".


I used to have a lot of questions during my salvation journey. I like to rationalize and plan things. So the perfect combination for me was logic and faith, that is, if whatever I'm believing God for came at the right time - according to my timetable, everything was great. Until it does not happen and you can't help but wonder, why me God?


In Genesis 3:1, we see the first question in the Bible coming from the serpent to Eve, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" and from here we see Eve doubting the word God had given her causing a downward spiral that led to the introduction of sin through Adam and Eve's disobedience.

I believe the enemy is seriously still at work, deploying the same tricks of robbing God's children of the promises He has given to them but in a different era.


Sometimes, this trickery manifests in repeated questions in our minds in the form of "reason" to make us doubt the promises that God has already given to us through His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus in John 10:10 AMP reminds us; "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]."


We also see some reasoning and questioning in the New Testament. Jesus often gathered to teach the masses and the religious leaders (Pharisees and scribes) who attended His gatherings often had questions for Him.

I find the passage in Luke 5:17 particularly interesting because it specifically states how the power of Jesus was present to heal them. However, you would imagine the religious leaders were exempt from this healing power since they claimed to know God best despite their unbelief that made them question Jesus' miracles.

This one incident after Jesus healed a paralyzed man and forgave his sins, the Scripture says; "and the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "who is this who speaks blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God alone?" (Luke 5:21). The next verse says, that when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, "why are you reasoning in your hearts?" (Luke 5:22).


Often I imagine if God had to contemplate the reasons why He should not love us, rescue us from our flesh and mind or most importantly, send His only Son to die for us so that we could receive eternal life and reign as kings on earth. I don't know about you but for me, He would have so many reasons but He did not choose that route, instead He chose love and mercy that is manifested in His abundant grace for me and you.


I would like to conclude on this note;

  1. It is possible to be close to Jesus while simulatenously far from him just like the scribes and Pharisees. In terms of proximity, they were close to Jesus but their reasoning and unbelief separated them from Him.

  2. Faith translates to obedience to God's Word and obtaining the abundant life that Jesus came to give us. This is the reason the enemy tries to steal it and he persistently continues to do so until the end (Revelation 12:17).

  3. Questions are not a negative idea as Jesus left us with the Holy Spirit who is more than willing and ready to help us answer them especially if they align with God's word and enhance our faith as believers. In fact, the Bible encourages us as believers to pray to God asking Him for wisdom (James 1:5).

  4. At the same time, it is possible to have an enlightened mind and a hardened heart towards God (Ephesians 4:17-18).

  5. As believers, we have been called to live a life of faith. Hebrews 11: 1 describes "faith as the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Thankfully, by God's grace, I have come to the realization that the more my mind can reason and understand every part of a situation, then I'm most certainly further from faith.

  6. When we don't know the answers to a particular situation, it is not because God is incapable of answering our questions but I believe it's because God's nature is certainly beyond our human and mental understanding which should be perfectly well with us.

If we believe with our hearts that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to save us from the power of sin and death, surely we can use that very faith to believe that His power will take care of every situation that life confronts us with.


Today, I'm grateful that God chose love and not reason. After all these years, our actions never changed His mind about us and on this resurrection Sunday, we are reminded that love never fails.


Happy Easter!




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