(Note: Posting from the road. Sketches may be added later.)
I had an interesting conversation today. One that related to my studies Hebrews. More or less we talked about doubting. The question we talked around was, "How much can you doubt and still believe?"
This is a good question, I think. One that more and more Christians seem to be asking. Some Christian leaders would have us believe that doubting is symptomatic of a lack of faith. They would tell us that to waiver in belief means that you don't believe, that you have no faith.
I am not sure I agree.
As I read the Bible, it seems that God has a lot of graciousness for doubters. People who waiver, stumbled in their certainty. People who wonder why God does what he does, or when he will do what he has said he will do. Or whether he is even there at all.
On the other hand, he doesn't seem to tolerate obstinate rebellion. Could it be that "believing" isn't an absence of doubt as much as it is the presence of obedience?
Over the last few weeks I have had several opportunities to answer a version of the following question, "What should I do when I find it hard to believe in God?"
My response?
Live like you believe it is true.
I mean, what else can you do? You can't make yourself believe what you don't believe, right? You can't just decide to have no doubt, can you? I sure can't. So when I experience doubts in my own life, and see others around me doubting, I find comfort in God's apparent patience with those who have a hard time believing, and motivation from his apparent frustration with those who stumble into rebellion.
I live like it is true...even though sometimes I wonder whether or not it is.
2 comments:
I think it is very important not to confuse doubting with skepticism. To doubt something means to be double-minded about it, or to be wishy-washy, hypocritical, saying one thing and doing something else. It is literally to have two opinions about the same thing, not really committed to either. Such kinds of doubt are unhealthy. Skepticism on the other hand is very healthy, in my opinion. Questioning those things that we do not fully understand is necessary for growth, both intellectually and spiritually.
A nuance I wasn't really thinking about when I was writing, but I agree. I think doubting (the way you define it above) is very much part of human existence. In fact, I think it is part of what Jesus experienced during his life on earth. Doubt, fear, a strong temptation to quit. Is it weakness? Yes. A weakness that may lead to obstinate rebellion? Maybe. But it is also a weakness that God forgives.
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