If what the Bible says about God is true, why doesn’t everyone believe it? Most people – even those who say they are Christians – live their lives as if God does not exist. Most people spend most of their time on earth pursuing worldly goals, such as earning money, finding a partner, and seeking entertainment. Very few spend much of their time helping the poor, serving their neighbours, freeing the oppressed and proclaiming good news.
Paul explains this conundrum in the second chapter of his first letter to the Corinthians: “We speak God’s mysterious wisdom, the wisdom that has been hidden, which God designed for our glory before the beginning of time, which none of the rulers of this world has understood… As it is written, ‘The eye has not seen, the ear has not heard, and the heart of humans has not imagined, the things which God has prepared for those who love him.’”
Humans like to feel as if they are in control of their own lives, making their own choices, whereas people who choose to follow Christ also choose to do what Jesus would do, rather than choosing to do what other people do. The actions of a Christian often make little sense to others, because God’s wisdom seems mysterious to those who do not know him.