On hearing it, many of his disciples said, 'This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?'
John 6:60
Sometimes Jesus says things that make your brain hurt. The disciples weren't just confused by His teaching about eating flesh and drinking blood. They were wrestling with something that challenged everything they thought they knew. This hard teaching shook their faith and filtered their commitment. Many got offended and eventually left. This is what mature faith looks like: wrestling with hard truths while continuing to follow Jesus down the path.
We live in a Google world where answers come instantly. Type any question and get millions of results in seconds. We expect immediate explanations for everything we don't understand. But God works on a different timeline. Some truths are too big for us to grasp right away. What confuses you today might become your greatest source of strength tomorrow when you're spiritually ready to receive it.
We must unlearn instant understanding. We think we need to resolve every mystery before we can trust and obey. We believe spiritual maturity means having all the answers figured out. We assume questioning disqualifies us from real faith. But Jesus calls us to walk with our questions while trusting His heart, knowing that understanding grows as we mature in relationship with Him.
In 1873, Horatio Spafford lost his four daughters in a shipwreck. His wife Anna survived, but Maggie, Tanetta, Annie, and Bessie all drowned when their ship sank in the Atlantic Ocean. When Spafford sailed to meet his grieving wife, the captain showed him the spot where his daughters died. That night, not understanding why God allowed such tragedy, Spafford wrote the hymn "It Is Well with My Soul." He didn't have answers about God's plan, but he trusted God's heart even in the mystery.
I have what I call the "Oh, that's why!" moments. These are times when you suddenly realize what God was doing all along. You look back at a confusing season and say, "Oh, that's why this happened!" We all go through seasons where God's plan feels unclear and His teachings seem impossible to accept. God can give us hard truths that challenge everything we think we know, but the question is: will we have faith to trust Him until understanding comes in due time?
Faith means following Jesus with questions, trusting His timing for answers. You don't need to understand every Bible verse before you can trust God's heart. You don't need to solve every theological puzzle before you take the next step of obedience. Real disciples have learned the art of wrestling while walking. They grapple with hard truths and keep moving forward. They know that some truths only make sense after years of walking with Jesus, and understanding develops as you wrestle your way down the path of faith.
Godseekers, it's okay to wrestle with hard teachings while following Jesus. God isn't threatened by your honest questions or confused by your doubts. He knows that some truths require spiritual maturity to fully grasp. What matters is that you keep walking with Jesus even when the path seems unclear. Trust His character when you can't understand His ways. Follow His heart when His words feel too hard to handle, knowing that clarity comes in due time.
Prayer
Dear God, thank You that You don't require me to understand everything before I can trust You. Help me to be honest about my questions and confusion without letting them stop me from following Jesus. When Your teachings feel hard or Your ways seem unclear, remind me that You are good and trustworthy. Give me the courage to keep walking with You even when I can't see the full picture. Teach me to trust Your heart when my mind can't grasp Your ways. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Personal Reflection
- What questions about faith do you struggle with most?
- How can you trust Jesus personally even when you don't understand His teaching perfectly?
Step of Faith
Today, I will choose to trust and follow Jesus even with the questions I still have, focusing on His character rather than demanding immediate answers.
