WS Chronicle

I must admit that writing these articles over the last year has been one of the biggest benefits of my journalism career. They have allowed me to express some ideas and questions that have been on my mind for quite some time. They have also allowed others who are more experienced in the Word to offer answers and commentary to my questions.

So, the next topic that has been weighing on my mind is how people can’t believe in some form of a higher power. I am not saying you have to believe in what I believe, but with everything that the world is and all that is in it, I am not sure how one could not believe in a higher power.  

When I was a kid and reached the age where I could really understand the concept of religion, it made sense to me based on what I saw. There were too many things that worked out in favor of man for all of this to be a coincidence or simply just evolution.  

When I actually learned about evolution in class, it had the opposite effect than it had on most. Instead of giving me answers to questions I had about how we got here, it made the belief in my faith stronger. I have always been a very logical thinker, so the most obvious answer to me was that someone had a hand in making this all come true.

Additionally, the thing that made me question evolution was because they attempted to teach me that Homo sapiens evolved from apes. That didn’t make sense to me, because every other animal that has evolved has taken over from its predecessor. If we evolved from apes, how and why are they still around and thriving? I don’t see any Homo erectus or Neanderthals walking around the mall.

When you think about it, we just happened to land on the planet with the right temperature, perfect mixture of gases, water, an atmosphere, enough food options and some of the most beautiful land formations known to man. There has to be some kind of intelligent design behind all of this.

I’m sorry, but as I have stated in a previous article, I don’t take the Bible as 100% literal, so the story of Adam and Eve is a bit farfetched. I do think we were designed by a higher power, but maybe not exactly as it was described in the book of Genesis. One thing is for sure, I do not believe we evolved from apes.

I have had conversations and heard commentary from those who do not believe in a God of some kind. I’ve heard things such as, the Bible is a fairy tale, or we have all been brainwashed to believe such things. The most common thing I have heard is ‘How can we believe in a God that we have never seen?’  My answer to them has always been, ‘Well, I can’t see air, atoms or molecules, but I know they exist, so what’s your point?’

I would never try to convince someone to believe in my God, or any other God for that matter. To be honest, I think we are all worshipping the same God, but just use different names and under different religions, but that’s another story for another day.  

Beside from what we see and how we got here, I further know that my God exists due to the unbelievable things that happen to me when I least expect them. The blessings that I have received can only be explained by me being blessed by God. There have been situations that I literally had no idea how I was going to get out from under, but I never feared because I always knew that Jesus was going to make a way and He did.

Another way I know God exists is when he speaks to me. I can’t speak for anyone else, but it’s not a literal voice, but rather my God speaks to me through other people. I use prayer to give my thanks and ask for guidance. Jesus answers my prayers for guidance routinely in the most unique ways. It could be a feeling, voice of reason, chance encounter or someone telling me exactly what I needed to hear. Once again, these things can’t be a coincidence.

God gave us free will so that people are free to believe what they choose to believe, but I am just glad I am blessed to know my God is real. People can say whatever they want, my faith will never waiver.