How to Handle the Toughest Questions About God

Have you ever been paralyzed by a question about your faith?

Nonbelievers (and even some believers) have lots of questions about Christianity. Odds are, if you’re living out your faith, you WILL be asked tough questions about God. And they won’t always be of the simple, “What do you believe and why?” type.

For example, how would you respond to these arguments when posed by an unbeliever?

There are many ways to get to heaven.

A God of love wouldn’t send people to hell.

Christians use prayer as an excuse to be lazy and neglectful when they should take action instead.

Science has proved that God cannot exist. 

Aren’t all religions basically the same?

How can the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be separate yet the same?

What is the difference between something that cannot be heard, seen, or felt, and something that does not exist?

These are just a few of the questions you could be asked at any given moment, and you probably won’t get a lot of warning. So how do you handle the toughest questions about God without being blindsided?

Accept Your Limitations

Astronomy is a fascinating subject, reminding us that the universe is so much more than the little world we live in. One of the most intriguing astronomical objects is known as the Pillars of Creation. You can’t see it through a backyard telescope, but an image taken by Hubble reveals spectacular, other-worldly clouds of ethereal colors. According to scientists, the distance between the top and bottom of the longest finger equals roughly four light-years. That means, if you traveled at the speed of light, it would take you four years just to cross the center of the photograph.

Four light-years. The humble human brain cannot fathom that distance, much less the 7,000 light-years between us and the Eagle Nebula, where the Pillars are found. We have no concept of that kind of time and distance. 

If you can’t fathom the amazing details of one distant heavenly body, how can you expect to fathom its Creator?

That’s the point.

It’s Okay to Not Know it All

What I say next might take some of you by surprise:

It’s okay to not have all the answers.

1 Peter 3:15 says to “always be prepared to have an answer,” but it does not say you must have every answer. Mere mortals cannot completely understand an all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present being. Our minds are too limited to grasp the full greatness of God.

So what does 1 Peter 3:15 say you must always have an answer for?

“Always be prepared to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

What is it that sets you apart from the rest of the world? What do you believe and why? You can borrow the answer from verses 18-22, which, when summarized, say:

“Christ died for me so that I may stand faultless before God, and he continues to stand at God’s right hand, acting on my behalf.”

This is the bottom line. If you can answer that, you’ve got a great start for defending your faith and answering the toughest questions about God.

So what should you do when a question about the Bible or your faith in Jesus paralyzes you?

How to Defend Your Faith When You Don’t Have The Answer

First, remember this: Just because you don’t have the answer—and maybe the greatest scientists and theologians don’t have the answer either—doesn’t mean the answer does not exist. It’s called faith for a reason. We know enough about Jesus to put our faith in him, but we don’t know everything. I don’t have to know everything about overtones, frequency, and how my vocal cords function in order to sing a beautiful song.

Just because you don’t have the answer doesn’t mean the answer does not exist.

Second, you can admit that you don’t have the answers. Sure, some might sneer at you and think they’ve won their case. But you’ve just made a really good point:

God is too great for human reasoning.

Third, sometimes the best answer is knowing where to send someone for the real answers. “I don’t know, but let’s look in the Bible together.” Or, “Would you like to speak to my pastor about that?”

It’s okay to not have all the answers. But don’t take that as a license to remain ignorant.

How to Handle the Toughest Questions About God: Study Time!

My junior year of high school, I was voted Brainiest Female for my graduating class. I made High Honor Roll all eight semesters and graduated valedictorian. My peers classified me as “smart.” But the truth is, I wasn’t any smarter than the average person. 

I just knew how to study effectively.

Studying can make all the difference between a successful pass and an epic fail. But studying is not just for school kids. Christians are perpetual students of the Bible, and every question from a skeptic or unbeliever is akin to a pop quiz.

So how do you prepare for a pop quiz in faith?

1) Study the Textbook

What is a Christian’s textbook? You guessed it—the Bible. You can’t know chemistry if you never crack open a chemistry book. You’ll struggle with quadratic equations if you don’t study the examples in your algebra book. And you can’t explain what you believe if you never study your Bible.

Check out my other posts about the importance of daily scripture reading:

• Read Your Bible Every Day: A Feast for the Soul
• How to Make Bible Reading a Daily Habit

2) Attend Class Regularly

A good textbook will do you no good if you don’t understand it. That’s why schools hire trained teachers. 

And that’s why churches hire trained ministers.

Your minister can help you understand the parts of the Bible that make no sense to the untrained reader. But he’s not the only one. Don’t overlook the value of Christian mentors who have spent a lifetime studying the Bible. Spend time in worship every week and get plugged into a regular Bible study led by someone with knowledge of scripture.

For more on this:

• Trouble Understanding the Bible? Get Help!
• Why Young Christians Absolutely Need to Go to Church

3) Talk to the Teacher

Sometimes, despite attending class every day and diligently consulting your textbook, you still need a little one-on-one with the teacher to understand a tough concept or difficult equation. For Christians, talking to the teacher is even more important. 

We call this prayer.

Some helpful blog posts to give your prayer habits a boost:

• How to Have a Richer Prayer Life By Friday
• The Remarkable Privilege of Prayer

4) Do Fieldwork

If you’re a farmer, fieldwork means sowing seeds, tending the soil, and harvesting your crops. Fieldwork for Christians is similar. This is where you spread God’s word and get to know those who need to hear it most.

Those questions I posed above? How can you study up and prepare your answers if you have no idea what questions might be asked?

A popular and unfortunate trend is to shut out anyone who holds an opinion contrary to yours. Social media allows you to block or unfollow friends who contradict you or otherwise make you feel uncomfortable. While that can be a blessing, trouble appears when we overdo it in real life.

Yes, Christian friends are important and maintaining fellowship with a group of believers is crucial to building strong faith. But you also need to go out in the world and listen. Instead of running from someone who declares Christianity is a farce, ask him why he believes that—and really listen to his answer. Become familiar with the popular arguments against faith and the existence of God, then study up so you can answer with love and gentleness instead of panicky harshness.

Always Be Prepared to Give An Answer

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

1 Peter 3:15

Never stop being a student of the Bible. Study apologetics (the intellectual defense of the Christian religion). Look to Christian scientists (scientists who are Christian; not to be confused with the Christian Science sect) for explanations for your tough questions. 

And trust that one day, in your eternal glory as purchased for you by Christ’s blood, you will have all the answers to the toughest questions about God!

More Resources to Help You Answer Hard Questions About God

I invite you to subscribe to my blog, where you’ll find many posts that answer hard questions about God and offer tips on how to defend your faith with both truth and love. Some helpful posts:

• Is it a Leap of Faith to Believe in Jesus?
• Does it Matter What You Believe?
• Defend Your Faith in the Science Room
• Defend Your Faith: Win the Battle, Lose the War?

Another great resource for finding answers to some of the toughest questions about God (like, what about dinosaurs?) is Brad Alles’ book Life’s Big Questions God’s Big Answers.

The possibility for a pop quiz in faith won’t end until you’ve crossed the threshold between earth and eternity. So keep studying!