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

What if I’m wrong?

Some interpret that question as an attack on faith. But what if this moment is faith’s greatest opportunity? Maybe we need to be challenged so our opinions and beliefs can be examined and renewed. Maybe the pressures we feel as followers of Jesus are cultivating grace for those who struggle to believe, and creating space for a more vibrant, culturally-engaged faith to grow. 

Historically, God’s people have found their voice in exile. It’s how much of the Bible was written. It’s how revolutions begin. Identity is born in the agony of exclusion. And once identity is discovered, the uniqueness, otherness, and beauty of its counter-narrative draws an unbelieving world back to itself.

If that’s true, it means we don’t have to panic when the world throws doubt in our face. There’s nothing to fear. And there’s nothing to fear when we encounter doubt of any kind, or from any source. Whether it’s the pressures of culture, the tragic circumstances of life, the fluctuations of emotion, the growing pains of spiritual formation, or some hidden inner angst, when doubt interrupts your journey, you need to appreciate its potential to move you forward in ways you never have before.

Doubt isn’t the end of the story; it’s the suspense within it. Doubt is the unexpected mystery; an unresolved, lingering question. Doubt is when you’re fixed on the edge of your seat, uneaten popcorn sitting in your open mouth, clawing your neighbor’s arm, unable to take your eyes off the screen although you wish you could.

Doubt presses you to reevaluate the story of your life. What are your values? What do you really believe? What direction do you want to go? Like water between two banks, doubt creates space for diverging outcomes. You can swim toward God or away. You can reach toward belief or unbelief. The choice is yours. Doubt is essentially neutral; it’s what you do with it that counts.