When Faith Fails: 10 Days Of Finding God In The Shadow Of DoubtSample

God’s heart is, and always has been, for the church to live as family. Church is where we wrestle, wonder, worship, and doubt together. Church is where we come with all the shrapnel of our past and find healing, acceptance, and grace. Church is where broken people discover they are not alone. That was God’s vision when he first poured out his Spirit on the church in Acts 2. And that is God’s vision for you.

It’s true many churches haven’t done a great job living into this vision. It’s true there’s a ton that needs to change, but you can be the change.

You are the church.

Church isn’t a building but a community of people who together pursue the way of Jesus. This means leaning into everything that is good, beautiful, and messy about our faith—and each other. It means struggling hand in hand through our doubts.

In Matthew 26, just hours before his death, Jesus sat around a table with friends. They sang. They prayed. He took a loaf of bread and broke it; he took a cup of wine and shared it. He said, “This is my body; this is my blood. Eat and drink in remembrance of me.” Around the table sat a diverse group of people with serious issues, doubts, flaws, and struggles with faith.

But Jesus welcomed them all. He shared his broken body with them. He offered them a place at the table.

Where is that community for you? Who are the people around your table that you let into the secluded places of your life? In what ways can you share your brokenness with them?

You don’t have to endure doubt alone. . . .

If you are struggling with doubt, you need to be in community.

And this isn’t just for your sake; it’s for the sake of others. Even if you’re not struggling with doubt, it’s likely people near you are. They need you. They ache for your prayers, listening ear, and encouragement. The word encourage literally means “to give courage.” You have the power to share courage with someone who is languishing in their faith. One of the most empowering things you can say to a friend who is doubting is, “I will love you through this.” They need you. They need your presence. They need your strength. And they need your wounds too.