The Doubting Faithful

Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him (Jesus), "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?"

- Matthew 11:2-3

Never fear (your) doubt. Doubt is neither faith's opposite, nor faith's destroyer.  

You can no more have faith without doubt than be brave without fear.

- Anonymous

John the Baptist was as great a person of faith as ever roamed the planet, (according to Jesus a bit later in Matthew 11). Yet John dealt with the fog of doubt. 

He was in prison for doing the very thing he was born to do, the thing he was called to do. He was imprisoned because of his faithfulness. And in that prison cell - not long before giving his life for the cause - the fog settled in. 

He was not condemned or scolded by Jesus for expressing his doubt. Jesus did not respond, "Wait a minute, you saw the heavens open and the Spirit descend at my baptism. Come on John! You heard the voice... remember? What's wrong with you? Suck it up man!" Instead, Jesus gently reminds John (via his friends) of what John already knows, and has believed about Jesus. Then Jesus boasts on John's faithfulness.   

There is something beautifully powerful here that we should grasp. We need not fear our doubt - nor that of anyone else. And almost as importantly, we should not be made to feel guilty by our doubts.  

If I were preaching I might put a nice little three point outline together based on John's struggle: 1) Take inventory of your doubt; 2) Take action on your doubt; 3) Take your doubt straight to Jesus. (The short version might be: Assess it, Express it, Access it.)

Doubt only debilitates when we begin to fear it. We blow doubt up into a snarling monster that freezes us. Doubt should not debilitate though. Doubt should motivate. Its presence should motivate us to seek... to search... to call out to God. 

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart

- Jeremiah 29:11

I think God is not offended by our doubt. He is bigger, he is more powerful than our doubts and questions. Doubts turned toward Christ become opportunity for greater faith. But doubts turned away from Christ become greater fear. And fear does debilitate. It freezes our faith, or it morphs into close-minded religious hypocrisy. 

Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving

- Frederick Buechner

Doubt is not a sign of faithlessness. Doubt is simply part of the exhaust of ...faith working through love (Galatians 5:6). 

Never fear your doubt. Take it to the One who understands... who loves... who overcomes...

God, you gave me a finite mind and with it, I attempt to know an infinite God. I will at times doubt. But I will bring you my doubts, because your love consumes them. And in love there is no place for fear. 

For now...

D