Leaving Room For Mystery

I am a left-brain, linear thinking, 1-2-3, abc, Missouri show me, kind of guy.  Theologically, I was molded from the 19th Century Restoration Movement, which is often referred to as Campbellism after the leading thinker of the movement, Mr Left Brain himself, Alexander Campbell, who was famous for his capacity to logically work through difficult texts and systematically present biblical doctrine and theology.

I have spent my entire adult life seeking to be a thorough-going biblicist, who "correctly handles the Word of Truth" (2 Tim 2:15).  My religious and theological training extends through college, graduate school and seminary, earning enough degrees to become a thermometer.  My left brain went on an  educational journey of a lifetime.

For a time, I knew everything.  I was the answer man.  If you had a question, I probably had an answer.  If I didn't, just give me a few day to search through my 1,000+ volume personal library and I would uncover the answer, deducing it with laser-focused, left-brain accuracy.  Yes indeed, I had all the answers - Not!

I had all the conclusions my doctoral training could conjure up, but, in actuality, I had only begun to scratch the surface of biblical, divine truth.  The problem with me or anyone fully knowing and understanding divine truth is  “...my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Is 55:8-9).

God's thoughts and his ways are a mystery to be revealed to us, not simply by study alone but require revelation: "The person without the Spirit...cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit" (1 Cor 2:14).  Despite our best academic efforts, "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us..." (Deut 29:29).

So, I don't and won't fully understand the nature of God.  I don't understand why everything is the way it is or even what way everything is.  There are some things that I accept just because God said it.  Somethings I don't understand at all.  Sometimes, I just scratch my head and to pursue the topic further just makes my brain hurt.  Some things are just a mystery.  And that is OK for God is not one I am capable of fully deciphering.  I have no choice but to leave room in my theological and religious constructs for the mystery of the Almighty.  Jus' Say'n.