Why, God? Lesson from James about how to ask God tough questions

Of all the standard one-word questions that make up a journalist’s toolbox, none can be as revealing as the question, “Why?”
Parents of young children hear this question a lot — Why can’t I have Lucky Charms for breakfast every morning? Why do I need to share with my sister? Why did grandpa have to die?

In searching for some new songs and material for youth group recently, I came across this song video from Austin French, asking “Why, God?” I like his commentary in the beginning, tying the endless barrage of “why” questions we receive as parents to the sometimes difficult and loaded “why” questions we find ourselves asking God when things are not going the way we’d like. The video behind the music may seem a little quirky, but I think it is a great talking point that I recently shared with our youth group. Check it out:

Thankfully, we serve a God that encourages us to communicate with Him. There are reminders in both the New (1 Peter 5:7) and Old (Psalms 55:22) to cast our cares, worries and anxieties on Him — that God will sustain us. We don’t need an intercessor — someone to be the go-between when speaking to God. We can approach Him directly in prayer with our concerns, our praises and even our “why” questions.

As I prepared this lesson for the youth, I was drawn numerous times to the book of James — specifically James 1:5: If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (NIV).

What a cool verse, and one that many have memorized and reference often. However, that verse doesn’t offer the complete picture. James 1:6 adds context to the verse before it, starting with the tiny, yet critical, word “but:” But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. (NIV)

That verse offers the blueprint of how we should approach God with our “why” questions — and illustrates that we aren’t to be taking those moments lightly. If we cross the line drawn in the sand by James 1:6, the author suggests the harsh penalties we face in verses 7-8:  That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

What does it mean that we should “believe and not doubt” when we approach God with a tough “why” question? In my opinion, it is in the attitude of how we ask.

For example, picture a little child who wants to go to a friend’s house but his parents say “no.” Ideally, the child accepts the answer and moves on. However, if he asks his parents in true innocence “why,” not as a way of being defiant or questioning their authority, but because he is wondering if there is something wrong with his friend or other purely neutral reason, I think this is how we as Christians approach God.

Imagine the alternative, an angry, eye-rolling teenager who can’t believe his parents dare limit his ability to see a friend. In that case, the “why” goes beyond an innocent gesture of information gathering and becomes a tool — a weapon — of disobedience. In this scenario, the teen isn’t accepting the authority of the parents, and is questioning their judgement.

When we go to God with a heavy “why, God” question, how are we approaching Him? According to James, it is important that we be mindful of the attitude behind our questioning.