The other night, Ellio was sitting at the kitchen table with his homework spread out in front of him. He was frustrated. He stared at the page, erased an answer, tried again, sighed loudly, and finally looked up at me with that expression that said, “Dad, can you just tell me the answer?”
I knew what he wanted—clarity, simplicity, and to be done. And honestly, I felt the same. But if I simply gave him the answer, he might have finished the worksheet, but he wouldn’t have grown. The work of wrestling with the problem was shaping him more than a shortcut ever could.
And isn’t that how life works too? We live in a world that trains us to want shortcuts. Scroll through social media and it’s headline after headline, quote after quote, each one promising clarity in ten words or less. We share them, repeat them, and sometimes even build our assumptions on them—without ever digging deeper. The problem? A quick line isn’t the same as the truth. And often, the most important things in life can’t be captured in a quick soundbite.
That thought came back to me this week in a conversation I had with someone about faith and the Bible. They were longing for straightforward answers—not just about Scripture, but about their own life. How do I know what God wants? Why can’t I just be sure? What does the Bible say about (insert important, complicated issue here)? Questions we’ve all asked. And beneath those questions was the same longing Ellio had: Just give me the answer.
I get it. We all want that. Easy answers feel safe. They give us something to hold onto in the swirl of uncertainty. That’s why little sayings—some of which even sound biblical—spread so quickly. They’re tidy, they’re memorable, and they seem to make sense. But if we’re honest, most of the time those quick answers don’t hold up under the weight of real life.
That’s part of why we’ve been walking through our series, “Things the Bible Doesn’t Say.” It’s not about taking away comfort—it’s about trading shallow certainty for deeper hope. Because faith was never meant to be a shortcut. It’s an invitation to wrestle with the questions, to live with curiosity, and to discover that God’s presence meets us in the middle of it all.
So maybe the next time a big question comes up, resist the urge to push it aside or demand a quick answer. Instead, get curious. Ask Why does this question matter so much to me? What could God be showing me through it? Let it open a conversation—with God , with scripture, or with a friend who might see something you don’t. Curiosity doesn’t solve every problem, but it keeps us open. And often, it’s in that openness that God shapes us the most.
That’s what I was reminded of as I watched Ellio wrestle with his homework. The real value wasn’t in finishing the worksheet; it was in the persistence, the curiosity, and the willingness to keep going when it wasn’t easy. And maybe faith isn’t so different.
Peace,
Matt
PS: If you missed last weekend’s kickoff of “Things the Bible Doesn’t Say,” you can watch it by clicking the link below. As we continue this series, I hope you’ll join us as we dig deeper into Scripture—trusting that God meets us in the search.
