3 Commonly Asked Questions About God

Let’s face it, we all have about a million plus one questions we would like to ask God. Here are 3 commonly asked questions about God.

Whether you’ve never heard of who God is and are unfamiliar with the Christian Faith or if you’ve grown up in Church your entire life, I can guarantee you’ve got some questions. It doesn’t take long to dive into God, Religion, Faith, Life, Love, etc without coming to a lot of questions. Which is why Cody and I originally started The Reckless Pursuit in the first place.

We all have questions and few of us have answers. Though, this shouldn’t stop us from seeking the Truth for ourselves. Embracing our questions is the first step in truly understanding who God is. So here are 3 commonly asked questions about God. And who knows? You might just learn something!

Question 1: Is God Mad at Me if I Don’t Read My Bible?

Answer: No.

In fact, God would never guilt trip or force you into reading the Bible. It’s outside of His character to do so. Of course, God does desire us to have a relationship with Him and study His word. God desires us to come closer and talk to Him about scripture and anything else we have on our minds. But God isn’t going to punish you for not reading your Bible.

I believe that we often worry too much about God’s punishment that we aren’t actually able to see the blessings in front of us. It’s not like God is withholding the treasures of the Kingdom or that God isn’t going to bless you if you don’t read the Bible. However, we are in fact withholding treasures from ourselves. Reading the Bible shouldn’t be a chore and God doesn’t want it to be. It’s a gift and a way to dig deeper into God’s character. We should be enthusiastic about reading God’s word and understanding the History of the Christian Faith.

However, if you haven’t picked up your Bible in the past month or so, God’s not looking down on you angrily. God isn’t mad at you for not reading your Bible. There is actually a lot of guilt and shame that the feel within Church walls that either society throws on us or our inner narrative creates out of fear. We can feel judged by people if we’re not constantly in the Word or if we skipped out on traditional Sunday Church services in the past three weeks.

I would encourage you that if you are going to read the Bible, read it worth conviction. Read the Bible with enthusiasm for understanding Christ. But don’t read the Bible out of obligation or societal judgement. So no, God isn’t mad at you. But if you wanted validation, why don’t you ask Him yourself? I think you would be surprised on how God answers you.

Question 2: Is the term God-damn using God’s name in vain?

Answer: Maybe. It just depends on the context.

If you grew up in the South or any part of a Bible-belt area, you would know that usually this means phrases like “god-dammnit”, “oh my god” or even “oh my gosh”. Saying these things is like cussing at God or using His name to cuss. And since we don’t believe that God is of the “cursing” nature or “damning” nature, we are certainly using His name in vain, right?

Well, I remember reading an Instagram comment a few weeks back about using God’s name in vain but it wasn’t in light of cussing. No, the person was actually saying that using God’s name in vain is actually the misuse of His name. For instance, if someone came up to you and told you they had something prophetic from the Lord but it was out of abuse or power, of course it’s not actually in God’s will. Or how people like to throw around the idea that God told them they were going to marry someone and then two months later they’re with someone else. Would this technically be considered as using God’s name in vain? Using God’s authority over a self-proclaimed notion?

So sure, if you use the terminology “god-dammnit” when you’re mad that somebody cut you off in traffic, then it’s absolutely problematic. The fact that you would declare God take someone else’s life, especially for a small inconvenience, is absolutely problematic.

However, what if there was actually a flip-side to this argument? Say you’re asking God to “damn” away fear, doubt, anxiety, or any other negative mindset? Is this considered cussing and misusing God’s name?

Regardless of what you might think the severity of using the term “God-dammnit” actually entails, there might be other areas in our lives where we’re quite literally using God’s name in vain. Say what you will about cuss words, but our speech definitely carries a heavy weight.

Question 3: Does God Have a Plan for Me?/What If I Miss His Calling?

Answer: No.

Actually, God doesn’t have a plan for you at all! Okay, okay. I know that sounds harsh. But let me explain what I mean by that.

God may not have a plan for you, but He does have a purpose for your life. See, the thing is, plans often change. Sometimes we get off course because we want to try new things while other times we simply have no control over what happens to us. Changed your major because you aren’t sure 21-year-old you still has the dreams that 17-year-old you did? Join the party! I changed my major twice! Not sure if the career path you chose actually gives you joy? Heck, we all try different areas to see what we truly excel in! The truth of the matter is, plans change.

But God’s purpose for you doesn’t. See, there is a fire stirring within you. There are dreams and passions and strengths, and talents just bursting at the seams. Your purpose may be to help people but that’s a loaded purpose! You could plan on helping people by becoming a heart doctor. But really, you feel compelled to paint art that speaks to people’s soul. Either way, you are fulfilling your purpose of where God is leading you.

And another thing. If you’re worried about missing God’s calling on your life, don’t worry about it. In fact, quit being so hard on yourself! You are exactly right where you need to be in this moment. God meets us where we’re at and sometimes that doesn’t always look like the way we thought it would. You’re not going to miss His calling on your life if you are actively searching for it.

So What Now?

Maybe you read these 3 commonly asked questions about God and you have even more questions to ask. That’s a great starting place. Or maybe you have other questions you would like to ask. Feel free to share this along with a friend if you think they would benefit from reading this post. And also, if you have a question you would like to ask on the show, don’t be shy!

This week, Cody and I sat down and talked about 3 commonly asked questions about God, as well as many additional questions. We also discuss the difference between God’s punishment and the natural consequences of sin. If you would like to listen to what God is revealing to us, you can listen here.