Is Understanding Over-Rated?

Understand:

1. To perceive and comprehend the nature and significance of; grasp.

2. To know thoroughly by close contact or long experience with

I think as humans we want to understand things. Not just know about them, but to understand them. Scientifically, I can't say where this desire comes from, but we all have it. The strange thing is, that as time goes by, and life happens, we begin to accept things as fact and are satisfied with knowing without understanding.

For instance, I remember studying biology and how life is created. I know that two cells, one from a man and one from a woman, can come together and somehow form another human being. I can't begin to understand how that works, but I know that it does. Electricity is another example that comes to mind. I know how to use it in my home. I know that when I plug a lamp cord in the socket I am tapped into a source of electricity. I know, the light is able to be turned on. However, I don't understand where the electricity comes from. In my mind I picture Ben Franklin holding a kite with a key, but I know we've advanced farther than that now.

So, why is it then that we accept all of these day-to-day things we use and know about, even though we don't necessarily understand them? Is it that we have used them or known about them for so long that the desire to understand has been lessened? I'm not going to go up to someones baby and say, "That's not a baby, because I can't explain it or understand it. And furthermore, your baby doesn't exist." I don't see anyone refusing to use electricity because they don't understand it. As far as electricity goes, I'm currently typing on a laptop, listening to my neighbor mow his yard, drying laundry and I can feel the cool air blowing from my air conditioner. It's obvious I'm not abstaining from electricity due to my lack of understanding.

As a believer in God, I must ask, why do so many refuse the existence of God and refuse to tap into his power in their lives? People can't explain God fully, can't understand him fully. But, I know him and he knows me. I've walked with him in my life for several years now and it does get easier to not understand him but still know him. For some reason, some use the lack of understanding as a reason or excuse to not believe in him.

I read today,

"If anything is a mystery to you and is coming between you and God, never look for the explanation in your mind, but look for it in your spirit, your inner nature-that is where the problem is."

Some would say the author is telling us to be ignorant. But he's actually saying that the things of God are not able to be explained in our minds. God uses our spirit to speak to us, not our minds. So, if we wait to understand God, we will be waiting a long time.

Just accept him. Accept him today. Don't wait. Don't make excuses and label them as reasons. Start knowing him now.