Embracing the Mystery of God: Living Beyond Answers

I've been struggling a lot lately to let go of my desire for certainty and my frustrations with God regarding the path I've been on for a while, which has led me into the unknown.  

I've done my best to be patient and discern what there is to be learned on the journey, but there are some days when I feel like I'm tired of learning and wish that I could finally see an end to the current season of unknowing I'm experiencing. 

In my worst moments, I wonder all kinds of things about how God works, and whether I might need to atone for my sins or something before I finally see my circumstances resolved.  

But there are days when things seem a bit clearer, even though the end is not in sight.  There are days when I find hope that doesn't make sense, and peace that is beyond my understanding.  

The difference between good and not-so-good days comes down to my willingness to stop trying to figure out God and to surrender to whatever purposes God has in store for me.  

In our quest for certainty, it’s tempting to view God as a puzzle to be solved or a problem to be fixed. We seek clear answers, definitive explanations, and neat systems that give us a sense of control. 

Yet, Anthony de Mello profoundly reminds us: 

“As soon as you look at the world through an ideology you are finished. No reality fits an ideology. Life is beyond that. … That is why people are always searching for a meaning to life… Meaning is only found when you go beyond meaning. Life only makes sense when you perceive it as mystery and it makes no sense to the conceptualizing mind.” 

This quote reveals a vital truth: the divine life is inherently mysterious. When we attempt to limit God to our human notions or force divine realities into our mental frameworks, we diminish the infinite depth of God's being. 

Instead of trying to “solve” God, we are invited to simply behold the mystery, allowing ourselves to live in wonder and reverence.

The Bible affirms this perspective. Isaiah 55:8-9 declares: 

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Here, God reveals that divine wisdom surpasses human understanding. Instead of grasping for certainty, we are called to trust and to lean into the divine unknown.

Living in the mystery does not mean denying our faith or rejecting the truths we find about God in Scripture; rather, it calls us to surrender our need for absolute control and understanding. 

It invites us to embrace faith that trusts in God's goodness despite not fully comprehending God's ways. This trust is often birthed in moments of silence, surrender, and patience—when we let go of the urge to always have an answer and instead savor the presence of divine love that surpasses human logic.

Learning to “live the questions,” as Rainer Maria Rilke advised, opens our hearts to divine discovery. It requires humility—a willingness to admit that we do not have all the answers and that might be okay. In embracing divine mystery, we find freedom from the pressure of producing certainty and discover peace in the ongoing journey of faith. 

Today, I encourage you to let go of the need to understand everything right now. Rest in the profound truth that God is greater than our comprehension. Allow yourself to step into the mystery, trusting that divine love and wisdom surround and uphold you, even when life doesn’t make sense. 

In that surrender, you’ll discover a peace that surpasses all understanding—a peace rooted in the trust that God’s plans are greater than our own.

May it be so, and may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all, now and forever. Amen.