If God wants me to believe in him, why doesn't he just show me he's real?

That's a fair question. If God wants a relationship with us, why isn't his existence completely obvious?

Christianity says God has given us reasons to believe: the existence and order of the universe, our moral experience, the person of Jesus, and especially the claim that Jesus rose from the dead.

But none of these forces belief in the way seeing the sun forces you to admit that something bright is in the sky.

Why would God allow that uncertainty?

Christians offer several answers. Perhaps God wants people who can freely respond to him rather than simply being overwhelmed by his presence. Perhaps some distance gives room for genuine seeking.

But we shouldn't pretend that completely solves the problem.

For someone sincerely looking for God and finding only silence, God's hiddenness can be one of the strongest reasons to doubt.

Christianity's answer is ultimately not “Stop asking.”

It's “Look at the evidence—and especially look at Jesus.”