Are Christians too quick to label unexplainable events as "miracles" or rely on "just have faith" for difficult questions?
Introduction
It is a fair question to ask whether Christians sometimes default to a "miracle" explanation simply because it is easier than seeking a natural explanation, or whether we use "just have faith" to shut down intellectual doubt. This tendency risks making faith seem anti-intellectual and making genuine miracles seem common and trivial.
The biblical approach respects both the miraculous sovereignty of God and the rational capacity He gave us. True Christian faith is meant to be reasonable (Colossians 2:8), not a flight from reality.
Main: Three Principles for Balancing Faith and Inquiry
The Christian must maintain a balance between acknowledging God's supernatural activity and applying the intelligence He gave us to understand the natural world.
1. Distinguishing Genuine Miracles from Coincidence (The Definition)
Not every fortunate or unexplainable event is a miracle. A miracle, in the biblical sense, is an extraordinary, supernatural intervention by God that temporarily overrules the normal laws of nature to authenticate a divine message or reveal His glory (e.g., the Resurrection, healing a blind man instantly).
The Problem of Trivializing: Calling a car finding the perfect parking spot a "miracle" diminishes the gravity of Christ turning water into wine. We should rejoice in providence (God working through natural means) without labeling every good event a miracle (God working outside natural means).
God Works Through Natural Law: We must remember that God established the laws of physics and biology. He is just as present and sovereign when a doctor successfully performs surgery as He is when a person is instantly, medically unexplainably healed. We praise Him for both.
2. Faith as Trust, Not Blind Acceptance (The Nature of Faith)
Faith is often mischaracterized as believing without evidence. Biblically, faith is active trust in what we do have evidence for: the character and promises of God revealed in Scripture.
Faith is Reasonable: The Bible encourages diligent inquiry. Paul instructs us to “test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). We are called to use the minds God gave us to seek understanding (Proverbs 2:3-5). The Christian faith is based on historical evidence—the empty tomb—not blind assertion.
The "Just Have Faith" Warning: Using "just have faith" to shut down a serious, hard-won theological or scientific question is intellectual laziness. We should welcome hard questions and point people toward biblical resources and thinkers who have wrestled with them, showing that the Christian faith stands up to scrutiny. Faith fills in the gaps where knowledge ends, but it should not be used to create gaps where knowledge is possible.
3. Knowing Where Explanation Ends and Mystery Begins (The Limit)
There is a point where human understanding ends, and that is precisely where genuine faith is required.
The Boundaries of Knowledge: The Bible teaches that there are truths about God and His plans that we cannot fully comprehend (Deuteronomy 29:29). This is the realm of mystery, where we must humble ourselves and say, “We trust the character of God, even when we don't know the reason why.”
The Role of Humility: When faced with suffering or an impossible situation, the Christian response should not be a glib, "It's a miracle!" but a humble admission: "I don't know why this happened, but I know the God who holds this situation, and I trust Him." This is true, mature faith.
Conclusion
It is a failure of Christian witness to reject honest inquiry or to trivialize God's power.
Use your mind to the fullest to understand the world God created. Rejoice in His providence (His sustaining care). And when faced with a true miracle or a profound mystery, pause, humbly admit the limits of human knowledge, and offer genuine worship to the God who is bigger than any question.
