Doubt. It feels like a dirty word. Especially in faith communities. It can be easier to admit to struggles with pornography, alcoholism, drug addiction, etc., etc., than it is to admit that you are experiencing doubt. People of faith experience doubt, it is a human condition and redeemed people are no different. According to a Barna Poll in 2017, two-thirds of Christians face doubt, so if you are experiencing doubt, you are not alone (Barna Group 2017)! The most common response to experiencing doubt was to quit church, let me say that this is probably the worst response when facing doubt (Barna Group 2017). The true purpose of the church body is to journey together on this road we call faith! Community is supposed to be a vital part of our faith. The Bible is not shy about those who have experienced doubt, we will look at some of them.
What is this thing called doubt regarding spiritual life? “Uncertainty about the truth and reality of spiritual things, as seen especially in a lack of faith in and commitment to God. (Manser 2009)” If two-thirds of Christians experience doubt, it is safe to say that it is a common human experience. One of the most famous stories in the Bible shows Peter, largely seen as the leader of the other apostles, doubting and ending up sinking into the water after having had enough faith to walk out onto it (Matthew 14:28-29)! Thomas, another of the apostles, didn’t believe the other disciples about the risen Jesus until Jesus appeared to him showing him His wounds (John 20:26-29). Even John the Baptist had doubts about Jesus after he had baptized him and declared him the Lamb of the World (Matt. 11:3).
I wonder if a large part of the reason doubt is pervasive to us as human beings is because of our desire to know all the answers. Living in mystery is hard for us, but the reality is that we cannot know for certain a great many things. Perhaps one of the most important things we can learn to do is to live in the mystery, there are things that we cannot know the answers to and there are mysteries that belong to God alone (Duet. 29:29) (Patton 2016).
Michael Patton in his article on doubt says this about doubt “I like to think of doubt as the gap between our current faith and perfect faith. (Patton 2016)” Reframing our doubt in this way can be a big help in dealing with doubt. I have found it to be true in my life that the crises of faith that I’ve experienced are often my biggest opportunities for spiritual growth and stronger faith on the other side of the struggle.
If you are experiencing doubt, give yourself grace. If these titans of faith from the Bible that we read about had doubts and came out on the other side, we are allowed to work through the doubts we are wrestling with. This is where our faith community, God’s family, the Church, should play a vital role. Galatians 6:2 says that we should carry one another’s burdens, and Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us to not neglect meeting together and to encourage one another. Unfortunately, the environment we have created in many churches is one where people do not feel free to be honest about their life struggles, especially doubt. We should instead applaud people who are real and honest about their lives and where they are struggling. We should be offering grace and mercy to those who are doubting, and to ourselves when we are doubting (Jude 22).
If we are not committed to walking alongside one another and wrapping our arms around each other in our sins, failures, and doubts, then what are we doing? We all have sin, doubt, and failure in our lives. It is important to hold each other accountable, but always with love, compassion, and mercy. We should be loving one another like Jesus loves us, if he doesn’t throw the stones at us why should we do it to one another?
Doubt doesn’t mean you don’t have faith. It means that you are human and that you are navigating rough seas. Doubt your doubt, don’t give it more relevance than your faith. Learn to live in the mystery, in the area of not having all the answers. Give yourself the grace to work through your doubt, these things don’t resolve overnight. Lean into your community, the church exists to walk alongside of each other. Go to your pastor and share your doubts, it might feel scary, but let me assure you that as a pastor I care deeply for you and want to help you in your faith journ
ey! The worst thing you can do in doubt is withdraw from your faith community and your trusted faith teachers. Isolating yourself when you question will ensure that you cut off the group who is most likely to be able to give you answers and compassionately sit with you. Don’t fear doubt, see it as a catalyst for going deeper into your faith. Sail into the storm, knowing that there are smooth seas and a better sailor on the other side of the storm.
Written by: Chris Galarneau, 2/21/24
Works Cited
Barna Group. Barna. July 25, 2017. https://www.barna.com/research/two-thirds-christians-face-doubt/ (accessed Febuary 20, 2024).
Manser, Martin H. biblegateway: Dictionary of Bible Themes . 2009. https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/dictionary-of-bible-themes/8721-doubt (accessed Feburary 20, 2024).
Patton, Michael. The Gospel Coalition: 7 Ways to Deal With Doubt. July 21, 2016. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/7-ways-to-deal-with-doubt/ (accessed Feburary 21, 2024).