Is There a God?

Strength for the Church

Written by Mary Kinnison

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For those in the church, the question “Is there a God?” might seem elementary. Yet amid escalating global tensions, institutional scandals, and a digitally overstimulated world, even the most seasoned believers can find themselves struggling with this question. When our beliefs are tested by life’s toughest issues, it is not uncommon to doubt God’s existence.

But what if doubt is not the enemy of faith? What if it is the doorway to a stronger, more examined belief system? Wrestling with questions about God’s existence and character forces us to reach for answers beyond our inherited religious practices. Furthermore, the wrestling exposes whether our faith rests on a cultural form of Christianity or on God’s character as revealed in Scripture. In this sense, doubt doubles as a refining fire, challenging us to examine not just what we believe but why we continue to believe it.

Doubt is not fundamentally a bad thing. However, when nursed in isolation or steeped in cynicism, it can harden into unbelief. Subsequently, our toughest questions must be examined in prayer, weighed against Scripture, and wrestled through within community. God never intended for us to struggle alone, and these practices safeguard us against any temptation to totally dismantle our faith during a crisis.

A beautiful truth about Scripture is that it invites us to take a reasoned step into the reality of our existence. Faith is not blind. At a minimum, our finely ordered universe supports the existence of a God. And while Jesus’s work on the cross reveals that God is all-loving, his resurrection stands as the pinnacle of the Gospel story. Why? Because if Jesus truly rose from the dead, as evidence shows, then the existence of an all-powerful and all-forgiving God is historically verifiable. This is great news!

Rest assured, God is not threatened by the struggles of our hearts. In fact, the entire Bible reveals a God who is in pursuit of those who reject Him. For example, we know that Jesus did not shame Thomas, the Apostle who so blatantly doubted Jesus. Thomas was in such despair that he cried out, “Help my unbelief!” Jesus responded to Thomas with reassurance and then went on to bless our belief before we were even born (John 20:24-29)! In the end, the question “Is there a God?” is not a sign of spiritual weakness. It’s a necessary step towards understanding the reality of our existence in Jesus.

Reflection Questions

1. Have you ever found yourself in a season of doubt? If so, what triggered it?
2. Where in your life have you seen God pursuing you?

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