On Answers

The heart of the righteous studieth to answer:
but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.

Proverbs 15:28

When we can “just Google it,” we become accustomed to a life of quick and easy answers.

I don’t think that this is a good development for believers because God uses the tools of time and work to mature us more completely into his image. In James 1 we are called to let patience have its full and complete work that we might be completely mature (Christ-like!). That takes time.

Paul tells Timothy to study to show himself approved into God and unashamed before his church. Study takes time. It requires careful thought. It sometimes means that we have to cycle through a host of wrong answers until we come the right one.

It also means that we sometimes aren’t able to supply people the answers they want on their schedule, which is usually “now.” I think we find that those that are unwilling to wait for the right answer probably aren’t looking for the right answer anyway.

It’s better to wait to answer until you have thought/prayed/studied an issue out then just share the first page of Google results. Don’t feel rushed by the “demand” to answer a complex or complicated issue or keep pace with everybody else as they rapid-fire their answers.

-C.R.