The Grounds for Trusting God: Part 1, God is not Stupid

For me, the foundation I have for trusting God is the assumption that God is not stupid. That’s right, my confidence and obedience is based on God’s lack of stupidity, and (I’m sure if you’re reading this you've never heard THAT before). On the contrary, I believe God is wise and good. When He speaks in the Bible about what is good, right, and true, I believe he knows what he is talking about and therefore his commands can be trusted.

A lot of people read or hear what the Bible has to say about life, marriage, sexuality, goodness, truthfulness, and holiness and feel that God is just a big jerk with a lot of rules who is trying to ruin everyone’s party. Therefore when they read the Bible or hear what it says they reject it because they think God is infringing on their rights or their enjoyment.

I can understand the hesitancy to trust someone who gives instructions about life and behavior. All of us have at one time or another dealt with poor authority figures in our lives, whether that was an unkind parent, an overbearing employer, an incompetent teacher, an arrogant policeman, or a lying politician. I would dare say that most of us could probably count on one hand the number of leaders we have known who were kind, trustworthy, and wise. Good leadership is a rarer than a perfect diamond. So why should we trust the God of the Bible as he seeks to be the leader and authority figure supreme of our lives? How is he not any different than any other faulty leader we have ever known? Is he trustworthy? Is he a tyrant? Does he know what he’s doing? Does he really care about me?

These and more are all valid questions. How can we follow a leader who isn’t trustworthy? How can we follow someone who doesn’t have our best interests in heart? How can someone be followed if he doesn’t know what he’s doing?

So we must know that God is both wise and loving if I am to trust and obey him. So is he? Is God wise and is God loving?

First let’s look at the wisdom of God. I believe God is wise and all knowing. Therefore, when he gives a command or speaks about life, he speaks as someone who knows what he is talking about. Therefore we can trust what he has to say. So how do we know God is wise? I would first argue from a creation standpoint. God created all life. He created humans in his image. As an almighty, eternal creator, he knows what is best for the creatures he brought into existence. In some small way I helped create my children, (let’s just leave it at that). I am their parent. I have the benefit of having lived longer than they have, having experienced more than they have, and I have the intimate knowledge of having watched them grow and experiencing their personalities, faults, and strengths. Therefore in many ways I know what it is best for them. I know eating too much sugar will upset my oldest child’s stomach in a bad way. I can discern the cries of my middle child when she goes to bed to tell whether or not the cry is serious or just an attempt to stay up later. I know my son has a temper that needs to be reined in or he will be a holy terror later in life. Having “created” and raised my children, I have intimate knowledge of them and knowledge to know what is best for them. In the same way God, the creator and “parent” of all life on earth, knows people intimately and knows what is best for those he created.

Secondly, let’s look at what the Scriptures have to say about the wisdom of God. Daniel says about God, “wisdom and power are his,” (Daniel 2:20-21). Paul, looking over the sovereign plan of God over history says,

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?” For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen,” (Romans 11:33-36).

God is the all wise one. There is no one who informs the Lord. There is no one who can tell God something he doesn’t already know. There is no one to advise God. How does this play out in our lives? There is no philosophy, thinking, idea, perspective, or religion who will have a better perspective and council on how to live life, how to be happy, how to have a good marriage, how to be a good parent, ad infinitum. No guide, teacher, preacher, or wise man will ever outwit God or add anything to his incredible councils. There is no one wiser than God.

God, the designer, knows how his creations will best function and life happily and healthily. God, as a creator and Father, knows people and what is best for their lives. God, as all knowing and all wise, has no fault or flaws in his thinking. To be crass, but blunt, God is not stupid. He is all wise, all knowing, and his decisions and commands about life, morality, marriage, sexuality, honesty, money, and life can be trusted.

There is, however, a problem with the truth I've laid out here. If God, who is all wise, is not trusted and followed, we show ourselves to be stupid and rebellious. We are rejecting the one who made us and rejecting the one who is all wise. It is one thing to rebel against a leader who is untrustworthy and proven to be an idiot. It is quite another to reject a leader who is trustworthy, wise, and who has a proven capacity to lead and direct another. A rejection of a leader with such credentials shows himself to be stupid and a rebel and will justifiably receive no leniency.

Heavy truths to ponder. So what do you do? Will you trust the only wise God? Or will you trust your own councils, thinking, or “wisdom” of others?

Coming soon, part II, God can be trusted because he is loving.