And have mercy on those who doubt;
Jude 1:22
In recent years, there have been a few prominent individuals
in the Christian community who have renounced their faith; authors, preachers,
musicians… seems no one is immune to doubt.
As a Christian myself, I have some thoughts.
First, I believe everyone has questions and doubts. Do I
believe this disqualifies anyone from the grace of God? Absolutely not. When
Thomas doubted the resurrection of Jesus, was he immediately banished to Hell?
No. Instead Jesus showed him mercy. Jesus came to him and showed him proof. I
think Jesus may have been a little heart broken that someone who walked so
closely with him needed to see it to believe it. But this doubt did not disqualify
him from grace.
Its called faith because on this side of Heaven, we will not
have all the answers. That does not mean we should stop questioning, but instead
of doubting when we do not like the answer, we should learn to have faith that
ultimately God knows what he is doing.
It reminds me of the Israelites in the wilderness. Miracle
after miracle was performed right in front of their eyes. I mean they literally
saw a sea parted in half and bread raining from heaven. I feel like seeing
those things would solidify my faith for life… but when we read these scriptures,
we can see they still doubted.
You can’t tell me that these people who have spent their
lives (and livelihoods) talking about and promoting the cause of Christ haven’t
seen a miracle or two. But maybe like the children of Israel, right now they
are just in the wilderness.
Obviously, fame doesn’t guarantee happiness, peace, or the
ability to have all the answers. Maybe for many of them, the fame and
everything that comes with it caused them to doubt in the first place.
While I do believe having doubts is a natural thing for all people
to experience, I also believe we are accountable for our actions. For example…
not everything I have personally experienced in my Christian faith and ministry
has been rainbows and butterflies. There have been Christians who have lied to
me, betrayed me, and pushed me aside for their own personal gain. To be
completely honest, Christians can sometimes suck… like everyone else in the
world. But what would it benefit anyone for me to air this dirty laundry? How I
have been treated by other Christians has not caused me to lose my faith… but
if I shared the hairy details with the world, would it cause someone else to question
and doubt?
My faith is strong enough to not be swayed by the opinions and
thoughts of a former Christian musician… but not everyone has faith that
strong. I am sure these people, who are now saying they don’t believe in God,
were the reason that many turned to God in the first place. But I believe they
are also accountable for the people who turn away because of their unbelief.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t be honest about our struggles
and doubts… however I do believe that we should view everything in the light of
eternity. Is what I am going through right now going to help and encourage someone
else, or is it going to cause confusion and questions?
If you are doubting your faith or the bible or the existence
of God, you should absolutely seek the answers you are looking for. But don’t
do it alone. Find other Christians who are further in their faith journey than
you to consult with. Find a pastor or Christian counselor you can confide in. Research,
pray, and study God’s word.
Know that feelings are fallible. Not everything you feel is
true. We should purpose as Christians to value truth over what we feel.
There are a lot of voices in the world telling people what
to believe. We as Christians need to do more than just add to the noise. We need
to strengthen our faith. We need to not merely believe, but be able to tell
others why. And because my Sunday school teacher told me when I was 7 is not a
good reason. People in the world have hurt and pain and fear… they have hard
questions. And while I don’t know that we will always have the answers, I know
that we need to do better.
Too many Christian come to a religious argument with nothing
of substance to back up their belief and they end up just sounding ignorant. People
spouting off scriptures that aren’t even actually saying what they think they
are saying. You will not change the world by simply going to church on Sunday’s
and regurgitating what your Pastor said. Church is good, but the only way to
have deep foundation of biblical truth and knowledge is your own bible study
and prayer. This is the only way to ensure that your faith is strong enough it
withstand other people’s unbelief.
Read the bible, but don’t just read the bible, study the
context of what the scripture is actually saying. Pray… pray more than just “Let
us thank him for our food”. Pray for God to reveal his word to you as you read.
Memorize the scriptures. Having the word of God deep in your heart is our greatest
weapon against the devil. Because when the devil tries to lie to you, you
already know God’s truth.
And for goodness sakes, LOVE PEOPLE! Not just other Christians
or people at your church. Love the drug addict, and the homosexual, and the Muslim
and as hard as it may be for some of you, the democrat. Live your faith and
stop being such a jerk to people who are different than you.
Jesus lived his life as a great example for all of us. He
wasn’t silent about things that mattered, but he didn’t avoid the sinners
simply because he didn’t agree with their lifestyles. He communicated with them
and had dinner with them and yes even died for them. To be a Christian means to
be Christ
Like… I get that no one is perfect, but it seems so many care more
about making sure their thoughts and opinions are heard over being an example
of Christ.
Maybe fewer people would stop believing in Jesus, if more
Christians actually started acting like Christ.
“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is
Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny
Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”
– Brannan Manning