I had some interesting feedback via texts, emails and by mouth (all positive) about the message last week, entitled, “Faithless, Faith-less or Faithful”. For those who were there or who have listened to it on the website, I looked at the two ends of the spectrum most commonly understood about belief i.e. faithless and faithful. In that message, I suggested by using Thomas as the example that there is indeed a third position. This is the one I called faith-less. That hyphen is small but is significant.
A faith-less position, like Thomas’ when he demanded to see physical signs of Jesus’ resurrection, is one where faith is there and it is centred on Jesus alone, but it has waned a little for whatever reason with doubt sneaking on in. In this case, if that situation is taken before God and His leading sought, doubt can actually become a point of growth where it transforms under God’s hand into greater faith. Under God’s leading, such doubt, or being faith-less for a time, can be a tool that He can use to speak words of greater and deeper faith.
I know it may sound counter-intuitive, but a person who recognises a doubt and doesn’t try to sweep it under the carpet but brings it into God’s presence, is actually simply being honest before Him. Personally and through just such times as these, I have found that powerful life-lessons can be learned. I shouldn’t be surprised.
The trick is to not be dissuaded or made to feel ashamed by those well-meaning Christian brothers or sisters who would tell you that any doubt is not of God and all you need is to deny those doubts and force them not to be there. This is simply bunkum and does more damage than good as it denies a reality and forces people into dishonesty before God.
Does God want us to doubt? No. But when we do, does God rebuke us harshly and tell us to snap out of it? No. He didn’t with Thomas; He doesn’t with us. Instead He lovingly restores us into life, if we are willing. We worship a good God. A God who loves His kids sharing their honest hearts with Him. A God who loves it when His kids seek His help. And a God who ‘lives’ to see us whole and further alive in Him.
So should you doubt, take that doubt to Jesus. Invite Him into that place and allow Him to bring healing, restoration and life. Like Thomas, what you think you need may no longer even be necessary. And just like Thomas, with so much greater faith, you will be able to proclaim even more loudly, ‘My Lord and my God!’.