Is It Wrong To Question God?

Is it wrong to question God? I was always told as a kid to never question God. But who could I ask tough questions to then? Who could I run to and get answers? I think those who would tell me this really meant to watch my motive in my questioning. Some would say to question the Bible or God Himself shows disbelief or even blasphemy.

Seeking answers from God concerning His word, direction, nature all revolve around one’s motive and attitude when asking questions. Pride, disobedience, rebellion, and anger are not good qualities to have driving your questions. But if we are asking questions to our Father with a heart that desperately and earnestly wants to understand and praise Him, He is always available and it is always appropriate. God does not want us to be confused, hurt, lacking, in need, or abandoned. He is compassionate and cares for us.

We should question to gain wisdom and understanding and not just get our own way. Remember Gideon? He is an example of questioning God wrongly. Judges 6 tells us Gideon was hiding and afraid of the Midianites. When an angel showed up (Judges 6:12), Gideon asked him a ton of questions that were out of line. Gideon said, “If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian." Gideon quickly questioned God’s nature – His power, promises, and provision.

God was patient and did not punish His questioning spirit. Instead, God gave Gideon a task to accomplish, was mightily used by God, and saw God’s goodness once he got past his own insecurities and selfishness. Many people in Scripture struggled and needed clarification from God. Men like Job, Moses and Thomas questioned God but God answered them because He knew their heart’s desire was to follow Him.

When our hearts are far from God our questions will be more demanding, invasive, and wrongly directed. Many of the Pharisees in Scripture questioned Jesus but only to prove Him wrong and hurt Him. This arrogant approach certainly does not originate from someone earnestly seeking direction from their Father. In the midst of confusion, chaos, and hurt you still can maintain a humble heart and avoid a self-righteous attitude toward God. Just because you have questions doesn’t give you the right to lose self-control and Christ-like character. You must also always honor God even if the answer is delayed or not what you were expecting.

God will answer you when you seek Him. But you must be willing to listen and receive His answer, not just vent frustrations and disappointments. Scripture is one of the best ways to understand and gain answers. His Word shows us next steps, gives us wise advice, and sooths the worst of hurts. Being mad, demanding an answer, complaining, feeling sorry for yourself, and a negative spirit certainly are not Christ-like qualities.

James 1:5 says God will give you wisdom if you ask. Matthew 7:7 shows the progression of asking, seeking, and knocking to gain answers. Hebrews 4:16 says we can boldly approach God’s throne and receive help in a time of need. Asking God questions is right but we must do it in an honoring way with a heart desperately seeking God’s answers.