5 Things that Make Us Squirm : Doubt … doubt …

5 Things that Make Us Squirm : Doubt Growing up in church, two squirm-worthy things stand out in my mind: the pews and the Sunday clothing.

5 Things that Make Us Squirm : Doubt Getting Honest about Doubt How many of you have ever doubted the whole “Christianity thing” at some point in your life? How many of you experience doubt from time to time even now? As followers of Jesus, we are not foreign to doubt; even though we might be reluctant to admit it, we often wrestle with doubt.

5 Things that Make Us Squirm : Doubt My Journey Paul Tillich, in his book Dynamics of Faith, writes: “Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is an element of faith”. Doubt may not be a failure of faith, but actually a vital aspect of faith. "If ours is an examined faith, we should be unafraid to doubt. If doubt is eventually justified, we were believing what clearly was not worth believing. But if doubt is answered, our faith has grown stronger. It knows God more certainly and it can enjoy God more deeply.“ (C.S. Lewis)

5 Things that Make Us Squirm : Doubt Mark 9:20-26 “So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

5 Things that Make Us Squirm : Doubt Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out.”

5 Things that Make Us Squirm : Doubt There is a difference between doubt and unbelief. Doubt longs for assurance of faith, whereas unbelief is a deliberate rejection of God. To distinguish between doubt and unbelief, ask yourself: am I asking the right questions? Doubt arises out of deep seated, intense and genuinely difficult concerns, not trivial or casual distresses. Unbelief usually latches onto periphery concerns. Ask yourself: Am I looking for answers or a reason not to believe? Doubt is willing to seek the truth, to find fitting answers; whereas unbelief is unconcerned about truth and is content to just raise the issue and then leave it unsettled.

5 Things that Make Us Squirm : Doubt “After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.” (Matthew 11:1-6)

5 Things that Make Us Squirm : Doubt Handling Doubt John does not bury his doubt, but openly confesses it, seeking resolution to his concerns. By not addressing doubt, we actually end up giving power to our doubts and this can be very destructive. God is big enough to handle our doubts. My encouragement to you is that when you sense doubt creeping in, begin to “doubt your doubts, and not your faith”.

5 Things that Make Us Squirm : Doubt Christ does not chastise John for his doubts, and he doesn’t answer the question right out. Jesus presents John with the things that caused him to doubt in the first place, asking him to re-evaluate his doubts. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Isaiah 61:1-2) God’s desire is not to chastise and destroy us, but to encourage and embolden our faith God desires to walk us through our doubt, most often by simply being present, proving to us that He is who He says He is.

5 Things that Make Us Squirm : Doubt Faith and Doubt Walking through doubt actually does embolden our faith; doubt can serve to cause us to grow in faith. “Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving”. (Frederick Buechner) God is so much bigger, so far beyond my attempts to keep Him contained and manageable, that doubt is inherent in following him. Faith can be a horrifying business. When we walk by faith, we do not walk by sight and doubt is inherent in that type of journey.

5 Things that Make Us Squirm : Doubt “Hope will not put you to shame, because the love of God is poured out into your heart through the Holy Spirit who has been given to you.“ (Romans 5:5-6) Do you experience doubt today? Don’t bury it, giving it undue power. Expose it; turn it over to Jesus, who can use it to cause you to grow in faith.