Q: Is God real?
Depending on who you ask, the answers to this question will range widely. Of course, the only way to know for yourself if God is real is to ask Him. Answers won’t come all at once, but through consistent prayer, reflection, and reading His word, you can find out for yourself if God is really there. No scientific proof or online advice can convince you to believe in God, but there are some valid points out there to consider.
Short Answer
Yes.
Long Answer
Consider Human Nature - In 2011, the University of Oxford published a three-year, international study which found that humans have a natural instinct to believe in a higher power and a life after death.
Why have so many people across so many different time periods and geographical locations felt compelled to believe in a God? You could probably find ways to explain away this phenomenon, but the fact remains that humans have always had inclinations for religion. In one recent BBC article, Brandon Ambrosino points out how human brains seem hardwired for belief in God: “Even if we leave aside any talk of God, we still have to wonder why the brain developed in ways that not only facilitate but seem to promote [religious belief]. These are experiences that seem to be an inescapable part of human existence.”
This could either be a huge coincidence, or the design of a God who knew what He was doing when He created us. Listen to your own inner voice. Does it make sense to your mind and heart that life ends at death? Or is there a part of you that somehow knows you are an eternal being? Do you believe, deep down, that there is someone out there? These instincts exist within you for a reason.
Consider Opposition - You’ve probably witnessed in your own life how all good things have their opposites. You’ve experienced good days but you’ve also had your share of bad. You’ve tasted delicious food and food that made you want to spit into a napkin. You’ve seen blue skies and storm clouds. Flowers and thorns. Butterflies and mosquitoes. Gratitude and anger. Humility and pride. Life and death. Newton’s Third Law says, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”