Faithful Man: Devotions for Living in Faithless TimesSample

BE THE MAN WHO CONFRONTS DOUBT WITH MERCY

Have you ever been in school with someone who just didn’t understand what the teacher was saying? The whole class is ready to move on to the next assignment when one guy raises his hand and says, “I don’t get it.” It’s tempting to be frustrated with slow learners, but making them feel bad about asking questions only ensures they’ll never understand the concept. They may hear the class groaning and resolve never to ask questions again. Coming to Christ is a lot like that. For some, becoming a Christian is as easy as addition. For others, it’s like doing long division with irrational numbers and x’s and y’s thrown in. In those cases, the best thing a believer can do is be patient with the one struggling with doubts as that person comes to Christ. Jude 22 (nlt) says, “And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering.” Being judgmental toward someone who wants to understand Christianity is only going to turn that person off to who Christ is. It’s not only counterproductive, it’s the opposite of how Christ acted in the same situation. In Mark 9:14–29, the disciples were unable to help a boy possessed by an evil spirit. So the boy’s father timidly asked Jesus if He could drive it out. Jesus didn’t turn the man away without helping. He gave the father a reason to believe.

Are you ever frustrated when people struggle to believe what you take for granted? How can you go beyond simply quoting the Bible to them?