To be honest, I’m surprised at how long it has taken me to write about this topic. I’m a former atheist, turned Christian, turned Christian-researcher. The ongoing trend or at least assumption these days is that when you lean towards a religious orientation, you’ve shied away from faith.

That’s why this topic is interesting for me to both write and read. I am Christian and I am also a researcher.

You all know that I write faith-based content. So, I’m just going to be sharing a little bit about my professional background to balance. After I graduated college 6 years ago, I went into research consulting as a freelancer first. Then, I was employed at a market research company for a period of time. Today, I’m still a professional researcher. Students and professionals come to me for their research needs. I guess I’m graced by God that way.

And yes, I also believe in God. No, I don’t believe it should be an either-or situation. One can have faith in God and be logical and critical at the same time. I am a living proof of that. Here are notes from a researcher– why I believe in Christ:

God has the answers to your questions

I was always naturally curious, mostly absorbed about why bad things happened to me– why I was always just so different. I stood out from the crowd and it felt like no one actually understood me. I was different. I was alone. I was suffering.

It was during an unplanned and unwanted youth conference when God spoke to the depths of my heart. He was calling me, drawing me near Him. I was led to do my own searching– to actually figure out what the Bible is saying about God and where I fit in the picture.

I was born different for a reason. And yes, my encounter with God was personal. It still continually is. 

I believe in God because in Him, I’m in my surest– my most certain. That helps me a lot as an overthinker by profession. Whenever I hear His voice– feel His presence, it’s reassurance that I’m on the right path. That His ways are the right ways. And that I’m not just deluding myself– we’ve disagreed too many times for me to be uncertain that He’s real.

What am I trying to impart to you? You may have been hailed as one of the smartest people in the classroom or you may have been a natural thinker. And that organically means you’re critical. I want you to know that the answers you’ve been searching for– the questions from within– can all be answered by God in a way that will leave you at peace and not searching anymore. 

Today, I live with a peace that surpasses all understanding. Has God answered all of my questions? He has not uncovered all of them to keep me from being conceited. But, I still have the peace that He has my best intentions at heart. That brings us to the second point:

God is all-powerful, all-sovereign, but He is also all-good

God is mighty. God is sovereign. God is all-powerful. But, He is also all-good.

When I was living in the city with one of the highest crime rates in the country, I was struggling to see the good in every situation– the good in every person. As it was being shown to me, people had no regard for living uprightly. Everyone wanted his or her way to the point that it got detrimental to the world around them.

It was also in this chapter of my life, where God showed me a very simple, yet impactful truth: God is all good. He is different from men.

A lot of people ask questions like: “If God is good, why do bad things happen to good people?” or  “Why does God allow suffering?” 

Everything is a case to case basis. No one answer can magically resolve the complexity that is lingering in your heart. But, one thing is certain, God always has a resolution. Seek Him for the answer and seek to view things from His perspective.

I saw that God was and is good in one of the most heinous cities I’ve ever lived in. To me, that means a lot. For God is not only all-powerful and all-sovereign; He is also all-good. Experience Him for yourself.

In life, there are things intangible. Like how the heart feels and how the mind processes. Christ is Someone you experience. He’s not a theory– not just head knowledge. And it’s not all about feelings, either. 

Christ can fill our very being– all the emptiness a man can ever experience. He can answer our deepest questions, fulfill our greatest longing; He is worthy to be followed. And although not everyone can see Him, it does not mean He is not real.

And yes, I am proud to say that I am a researcher. And I believe in God.