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“Receiving An Answer You Don't Want”
Categories: Bible, Daily LivingReceiving An Answer You Do Not Want
Jarrod Jacobs
An old saying often repeated is: “Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.” In like manner, be careful when asking a question, you just might get an answer that you do not want! This is what happened when the rich young man asked Jesus a question about eternal life. Jesus answered him, but the man received an answer he did not want, so he abandoned Jesus (Matt. 19:16-22).
What about us? Do we sometimes get an answer from God that we do not want? How do we react when we learn that the thing we have been doing (or would like to do) is not authorized in the Bible? Do we say, “I’m going to do it anyway”? Do we get mad, or sad? Do we say, “God’s way doesn’t make sense to me”? Yet, when we are honest, we know that such responses do not change God’s word. Getting mad or sad, or protesting, or substituting our ideas for God’s does not change what has been written.
There are several “answers” from God that folks have not liked in the past. For example, some do not like God’s answer to their question, “What must I do to be saved?” The Lord’s answer is faith in Christ, repentance of sin, confession of faith, and baptism (Heb. 11:6; Acts 17:30; Rom. 10:10; I Pet. 3:21; Acts 2:22-38; etc.). People have been told various theories, and so when they hear the truth, there are some folks who do not like God’s answer.
Another “answer” not accepted by folks is God’s answer to the question, “What kind of music do You accept in worship?” God’s answer is vocal music (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16; Heb. 13:15; etc.). Is this the answer men give to us? If not, then whose answer will we accept?
What is the proper response when we get an answer from God’s word that we do not want? The answer is to be honest, and to accept what the Lord says. Yes, there are times when the answers do not make “sense” to us. This does not give us license to change the answer, though! “Let God be true, but every man a liar” (Rom. 3:4).
