Thursday, April 4, 2024
My youngest son, Jax, is 13 years old. I recently learned that he aspires to embarrass me on the basketball court one day. Like his older sister, Imani, he doubts that I used to be better than good and that I'm still capable enough to put them to the test. They only need to ask their other brother and cousin to confirm my trash talk is more than hype, but they've never witnessed it for themselves.
Doubting doesn't mean they don't believe the stories. (Well, Imani doesn't believe me.) But it suggests they have unanswered questions. Who among us doesn’t pause before accepting the unseen?
So many of us are hesitant to believe the promises of Jesus, who walked the earth about 2,000 years ago. His stories provide eternal blessings; mine are merely bragging rights from an expired youth. Doubting me either hurts my feelings or serves as motivation. Doubting the Father indicates unanswered questions.
You have the opportunity to remain faithful and approach God with these questions, or you can leave them unanswered and potentially miss God’s blessing, choosing unbelief instead.
In the Bible, we learn about “doubting Thomas,” one of Jesus’ apostles who didn’t quite believe that Jesus had risen, even though the ten other apostles shared their own eyewitness accounts with him (John 20). Through his doubt, Thomas didn't abandon his faith. He stayed with the others, and Jesus eventually showed up to meet him where he was.
John 20:28-29
28 “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. 29 Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”
The testimony of others wasn’t enough for Thomas, but being in the presence of the Lord blew away all doubt. Thomas represented what Jesus knew our world would experience generations later, and Christ used Thomas’ uncertainty to encourage future believers through theirs, including you and me.
Just like Thomas, we may experience seasons of doubt, and the good news is there is room for doubt in our faith. We will never have the answers to all of our questions, but that doesn’t have to prevent us from moving forward. When we question God, he may even use the testimonies of others, as he did with Thomas and the apostles, to help us take a next step on our adventure with him.
Will you trust him?
Questions:
What keeps you from truly believing? How has your faith strengthened from the testimonies of others?
Next Steps:
Be honest about your doubts and ask your pastors, Christian friends, and spiritual mentors questions. Give your doubts and prayers to Jesus and patiently wait for answers. While you wait, continue growing your faith by reading Scripture, attending weekend services, and living life with believers by joining a Group.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, I've seen so much of your presence in this world, but questions sometimes arise when I live in the world instead of living for the purpose you have blessed me with. A promise is an assurance that something will happen, so I pray for patience. I pray to use the time to be a better version of myself so that who I am with you in my heart will shine more often. Amen.
Today’s post was written by Jaron Camp, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut.