Redefined With Arden BevereSample

The Benefit of a Doubt

As a teenager, I mostly coasted on my parents’ faith. But a faith that wasn’t my own wasn’t strong enough to pull me through when uncertainties, questions, and skepticism stormed into my life. In those moments, I was left with a choice: I could run toward God or away from Him. 

It’s easy to assume that running toward God means running away from doubt. But I’ve learned that running toward God does not mean escaping our doubts and questions. It actually means embracing them and laying them down at God’s feet. And in that process, we discover something: When we embrace our doubt, it becomes a catalyst for our faith. 

Doubt is a clear indicator that God is setting us up for growth, and how we respond to doubt makes all the difference. So, what is the proper response to doubt? There are several responses I would recommend, but they can all be summed up in one word: seeking. To seek means to pursue, to search, to explore, to investigate. Seeking is the opposite of hiding from or ignoring our doubts. It is active, it is hope-filled, and it is courageous. 

Do you remember playing hide-and-seek as a kid? Think back to the thrill and the terror of hiding under a bed or in a closet, knowing the seeker was in the room, inches from your hiding place. And, on the opposite side, don’t forget the determination, the frustration, and ultimately the triumph of looking for, and then finding, someone who was hidden. 

You will experience those emotions and more in your search for truth, so learn to enjoy the process. Don’t resent the ambiguity. Don’t fear the process of redefining your identity. Embrace the thrill, the uncertainty, the frustration, and yes, even the terror involved in seeking. 

Sometimes answers are hard to find, but the truth is there. You just have to look for it. 

Remember, it’s your journey and it’s your search. You don’t have to settle for rumors or other people’s opinions. And don’t let others criticize you for expressing skepticism about something or for questioning accepted conventions or for seeing things differently. 

Don’t let your journey be dictated by someone else. Instead, go find out for yourself. When we seek answers, we acknowledge our uncertainties without being paralyzed by them. Let’s be those who engage the hard questions rather than giving up on them.