A: Let me ask you a very direct question: Do you honestly want answers to your doubts, or are you simply using them as an excuse to keep God out of your life? In other words, are you seeking answers to your doubts with an open mind and heart — or are you content to keep them around without ever bothering to find any answers?
Why do I ask you this? The reason is because often, I’ve found, a person’s real problem isn’t some deep intellectual question or doubt they’ve never had answered. The real problem is a matter of the will: They want to run their own life instead of asking God to take control of it. Could this be true of you?
Instead, I urge you to seek answers to your questions. You aren’t the first person to ask them; godly men and women throughout the ages have wrestled with them in a far deeper way than you have. And yet they didn’t abandon their faith in Christ. In fact, they found that the Bible’s words are true: In Christ alone “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). Your local Christian bookstore can suggest some helpful resources.
But I hope you won’t only find answers to your questions, but that you’ll act on what you find by committing your life to Jesus Christ. May Jesus’ words speak to you: “If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?” (John 8:46).
Q: I was with my grandfather when he died, and almost his last words were urging me to come back to God. I left God behind almost 20 years ago, but I can’t get my grandfather’s words out of my mind. But would God even take me back? — M.M.
A: Yes, God not only would take you back — but He wants to take you back! He loves you even more than your grandfather did and yearns to welcome you into His family forever.
Have you ever asked yourself why you decided to leave God out of your life? I suspect I know the reason: You wanted to be free to run your own life, and you didn’t want God to interfere with it. But has this brought you true happiness? To put it another way, can you honestly say that your life is better than the faith-filled one your grandfather led? I doubt it. The Bible says, “The fear of the Lord leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble” (Proverbs 19:23).
As I read your letter, I couldn’t help but think of Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son. (You can find it in Luke 15:11-32.) In it, Jesus told about a son who turned his back on his father, leaving home and spending his inheritance in wild living. But in time he came to his senses, and when he returned home his father ran to welcome him. This is a vivid picture of God’s love for us.
Don’t turn your back on God any longer, but repent of your sins and commit your life to Jesus Christ. Then thank Him not only for forgiving you, but also for giving you the gift of eternal life with Him — and with your grandfather — in heaven forever.
Send your queries to “My Answer,” c/o Billy Graham, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C., 28201; call 1-(877) 2-GRAHAM, or visit www.billygraham.org.
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