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Why isn’t God more Obvious? Part 5

October 13, 2017

cafeteria

Last time I recounted how Melanie the agnostic was feeling stuck. She wanted to believe in God but simply didn’t.

How could she get her former faith ignited and moving again?

I agreed with Melanie that while you cannot make yourself believe, you can at least put yourself in position to develop faith. That is, read the Scriptures in community, stay in fellowship with Christians, hear the Word of God preached regularly, read books that make a case for faith in Christ.

Seek God with all your heart.

“But what if all that doesn’t work?” Melanie objected forcefully. Her face had turned resolute and our eyes were locked. “I’m doing the best I can. I want to believe in God but I’m just not convinced. Will he punish me for that?”

I looked away. I was aware of the other students listening intently around the table.

“Punish may not be the precise word,” I replied. “But God will respect your choice. He won’t force you into his family, whether in this life or the next. You’ll always be separated from him.”

A solemn moment passed.

Then it was time to go. An hour had flown by. There was no resolution.

* * *

Ten minutes later I bumped into Melanie in the back of the cafeteria. She greeted me with a gentle smile.

I asked if she was okay and she said yes. Then, could I pray for her, hand on the shoulder? Yes again.

I prayed that God would give grace and provide answers to her questions.

She went back to her Christian friends. I can only trust that the Lord will meet her there.

Getting unstuck

There’s a concept in Christian theology called prevenient grace. It means “preceding” grace or grace that goes before. It’s God’s way of priming the pump, of unlocking the potential for belief.

That’s what Melanie needs. A move of God in her life. That’s not to say further conversation and reading and simply hanging out with Christians aren’t valuable. They certainly are.

But it seems to me her main need is the “prevenient” intervention of God. That’s a prayer request, right there.

Photo courtesy of surasakiStock and FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

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Rick Mattson

Rick Mattson

Comments 9

  1. Ruth Bates says:
    6 years ago

    Excellent series of posts, Rick!

    Reply
  2. Gretchen says:
    6 years ago

    Praying now for an undeniable move !

    Reply
  3. Mike says:
    6 years ago

    Well done sir.

    Reply
  4. Sarah Kane says:
    6 years ago

    Praying now for all the Melanies out there.

    Reply
    • Rickmattson100 says:
      6 years ago

      To Ruth, Gretchen, Mike, Sarah: Thanks for your comments! The power of prayer is most needed in a caring outreach to seekers and skeptics.

      Reply
  5. Pat Conley says:
    6 years ago

    Great series of posts, Rick. Grateful for your frontline ministry.

    For a common friend of ours, struggling with doubt, it helped a lot to realize that if God is ipsum esse – the essence of being itself – then evidence of him was simultaneously ubiquitous (in everything that has being) and ultimately inconclusive (in that nothing in the created order can incontrovertibly “prove” God as being itself). I think there may be something worth apologetically “mining” here, and would love to discuss it more!

    Reply
    • Rickmattson100 says:
      6 years ago

      Hey Pat: Yes, ubiquitous and inconclusive. That is ironic. Question for you: Is the idea of “essence of being” susceptible to blurring of the line between Creator and created?

      Reply
  6. Connor says:
    6 years ago

    Thanks Rick! I hope many college kids get the chance to read this, I think this is a very shared feeling of uncertainty that many have.

    Reply
    • Rickmattson100 says:
      6 years ago

      Hey Connor, Yes, and a big question that needs to be addressed is what we should expect of God in the way of his self-disclosure. I think we need to ask God, “What are your terms?”

      Reply

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Rick Mattson Outreach Ministry

Rick Mattson

Evangelist & Writer

Hello & welcome to my blog! My name is Rick Mattson and I'm a traveling evangelist/apologist.

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