When kids get worked up they can imagine there’s a boogeyman under their bed—with green eyes, a goobery nose, and sharp claws.

They think it’s going to reach up and hurt them. And nothing you can say will convince them it isn’t there.

The only thing you can do is get a flashlight, shine it under the bed, and prove it to them. When that happens, they feel more secure and at peace.

Well, we adults can treat the big tough questions we have about faith and life like a boogeyman under the bed. We think—perhaps subconsciously—that if we pursue our big questions too much, they’ll somehow hurt us. Maybe we’re afraid of what we might find.

But I think you should run toward your questions, not away from them.

Just like that boogeyman under the bed, when you shine a light on your questions, what you often find is that the threat isn’t real. And you end up feeling more secure, and more confident.

So what question do you have?

Maybe it’s about why bad things happen, or whether the Bible can be trusted, or about the meaning of life.

Do your questions just fester in your mind, getting bigger like a boogeyman? Or are you actively trying to find out more?

James 3:17 says that “the wisdom from above is… open to reason.”

To me, that phrase means that an authentic faith is open to reason—not closed to it. And let me tell you, I’ve asked pretty much every question imaginable. And not once have the questions and answers I’ve sought and wrestled with made my faith weaker.

When you dig deep, you don’t find the boogeyman. You find wisdom.

What question do you have? And how are you actively trying to find out more?

Run toward your questions, not away from them.

By Matthew Ruttan

• “Aren’t all religions basically the same?” That was my Sunday message at Westminster. (The answer may surprise you.) You can listen in to the 25-minute podcast here. Enjoy!
• Vacation alert: Please note that “Up!” will be taking a break as I go on vacation. It will run this week, but then go on pause until September 5th.