The Tension Between Why? and What's Next?

I love the question, "why?" Heavens, a key element of my job as a product manager is to "Define the why". I'm trained and well-suited to spend large amounts of energy pursuing the why.

But lately I've been challenged to see places in my life where my growth and faith and even contentment are stymied by the pursuit of the why. There are times when seeking to understand why can stall my sense of joyful expectation.

Here's my current memory verse:

Jesus said, “You’re asking the wrong question. You’re looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do."

John 9:3 

In this story, Jesus' followers are so wrapped up in understanding why this healed guy was blind in the first place - who sinned? who messed up? who's to blame? why? - that they choose to focus on the why instead of the miracle before them.

I think of the book of Job, where Job asks God (very reasonable) question after question about why all of this miserable injustice was falling on him. And then when Job sees God's holiness, when God is before him and he can finally get his whys answered directly, all Job can say is:

“I’m speechless, in awe—words fail me.
    I should never have opened my mouth!
I’ve talked too much, way too much.
    I’m ready to shut up and listen.”

Job 40:3-5

Job realizes that God's glory is so much bigger than his whys that it fulfills every individual wondering question he has in one fell swoosh of awe.

Look, God gave me a brain and he wants me to use it, to seek him, to understand him, to find joy and hope in this life he's provided. I'm not advocating abandoning the why here. God uses the whys to teach me about himself, myself, and areas in my life where I need to grow. I just think I've swung a little too far in the opposite direction - focusing on the why at the expense of hope, of joyful expectation for what God's going to do.

I don't want to abandon the "why?" - I just want to put my best energy into the "what's next?"

This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?”

Romans 8:15