A Bible Verse About Understanding: 1 Corinthians 2:14

A Bible Verse About Understanding:

“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”  1 Corinthians 2:14

There’s a bit for us to unpack in this text from the Verse of the Day. Again, I’ll speak from my own experience since that’s really the only experience that I have.

In a previous post, I mentioned how I don’t know what God’s plan is for me.  I also talked about how it doesn’t matter if I do understand – as long as I retain trust.

In this text, our theology turns on us a bit.  This verse directly tells me that in the times where I am unable to understand the things that come from the Spirit of God, that is due to the fact that I am without the Spirit.

Paul is not blaming God for being aloof or mysterious.  And, yes, even devout Christians can have bouts of being un-spiritual.  We all have weak moments where the tribulations of life become too much.  It is quite simple to question the presence of God, let alone the existence.  And I see the irony of it all.

God wants nothing more than for us to trust Him, to love him, and to return to Him – the way we were intended to live.  Yet, he gave us all of the tools, “wisdom,” and free will to choose exactly the opposite.

So, even though I am growing in my faith journey, I will struggle with doubt.  Even though I do believe in God, I’ll wonder at times if He really cares about me.  I’ll question whether I’m really worth saving, or if there’s any hope for our future.

And that’s ok.

Questioning isn’t the problem.  Wondering isn’t a sin.  If that’s as dark as we get, I count that as a win.  What’s worse?  Giving up.  Turning our back on God.  In contrast, having a moment to ask God questions doesn’t seem so bad.  In fact, I propose that is what He wants all along.  It demonstrates a desire to be closer to Him.

During times of crisis or trouble we might be without the Spirit.  It might even be as simple as waking up on the wrong side of the bed.  In those moments, those are the times when we don’t understand.  When we regain the Spirit, it’s like a veil lifted.  

We’ve all been there before too.  You wonder why a certain outcome has happened or why some event took place.  And then, months or even years down the road there’s a certain “Aha!” moment.  That’s the Spirit returning.

To summarize, our journey thus far entails:

Suffering leads to

Perseverance, which develops

Character, which grows

Hope and Trust, and results in

Understanding

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