You don't have to be a parent to know that toddlers and teenagers are notorious for their unrelenting curiosity. Whether it's a four-year-old going through the "why" stage or a 14-year-old wanting to know the reason for doing anything and everything they're asked to, they ask questions as they attempt to make sense, or at least a better sense, of the world and their place in it.
Toddlers and teens look to adults as the ones with all the answers but the truth is they aren't the only ones who constantly question things. Grown ups are at times trying to figure out what's going on as much as the ones who think they know it all.
With age comes wisdom but we will always lack the answers to some of our most significant questions. If you can't get your head around why certain things are or aren't happening, here are four things to reassure you.
You know someone who does
Just as children look to those who care for them and about them to know why certain events take place and what particular things mean, we can also look to God to help us work out the world.
We discover that God has a plan and all the answers by reading His word. Just look at all of the times His people had questions about His methods or what the future held and how He came through for them against the odds. He always provides a way.
You're in safe hands
Our desire to have answers is usually spiked when it seems as though things are spiralling out of control. When we're content and life seems as though it has order, we rarely find ourselves questioning it but when things start falling apart our minds are often flooded with doubts. Why is this happening to me? What does this mean? Will it be ok in the end?
God's word doesn't just reveal to us that He is far more knowledgeable than we'll ever hope to be, it also shows us that He is in control, even in situations where we've lost every ounce of influence.
You know what matters
Jesus said: "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:34). It's impossible to know why every single thing or even every major event in this world happens and that can be unsettling for some of us but we can draw comfort from the knowledge that, when it comes down to many of life's biggest questions, the answers can be found in God's word and through Christ.
The greatest hope that we have is Jesus. He's shown us that even in the midst of tragedy there is a reason to believe that love, light and life will win over everything else.
You can always ask
Just because we'll never know everything, doesn't mean we can't ask God to make it clearer at times. If you can't come to terms with a situation in your world or the world as a whole, it's always worth asking God to help you see what good could come of that which seems wholly bad.
Instead of simply asking God to provide you with an answer as to why a specific tragedy has occurred or why you're not able to achieve success despite the hard work you've put in, you could try praying that He'll open a door for you to see how He will come to the aid of those affected or turn a negative into a positive.
