Faith Questions

DAILY BYTE

So what exactly is faith and what does it mean to have faith?

There seems to be a common misconception in Christian thought that faith means you should never, ever struggle with doubt. In this way we treat our faith like the proverbial donkey with massive sacks of grains strapped to its back. The donkey’s owner drove it with a stick until eventually the donkey collapsed on the road, too tired to continue any further. It was then that the owner beat it again and again and again.

Many Christians treat their faith like this. Believe it! Wham! Believe it! Wham! Stop doubting and believe more firmly. Admonitions, guilt and warnings are piled onto faiths back until it can take no more.

The injustice is that the donkey was beaten until it collapsed and then was beaten for collapsing! In the same way, many Christians drive their faith unfairly when they believe, and then cruelly flog their faith when they doubt. In both cases they do this because they have been led to believe that true faith is doubt free.

Yet, we learn from Scripture that in reality, true faith is almost NEVER doubt free! In Mark 9.24 , a sick boy’s father was challenged to believe that anything is possible for God, but he seemed to struggle with that – it was as if he could only get half-way there: ‘I believe,’ he said, ‘help me with my doubts’.

So what did Jesus do in response? Did he tell him to go away and come back when his faith was totally doubt-free? No. Jesus healed his boy.

‘I believe, help me with my doubts’ is a statement that speaks powerfully to many, for that’s the reality of how faith can be at times – a mixture of belief and doubt, trust and fear.

There were a lot of doubters in the Bible ... Abraham, Sarah, Elijah, John the Baptist … all at some point doubted God’s presence and work in their lives, but God didn’t give up on any of them because of their doubts.

God isn’t going to give up on you either.

God never asked those doubters to manufacture certainty. He just asked them to be faithful to what they did know.

Perhaps that is all God is asking of you as well.

PRAY AS YOU GO

Lord, thank-you that you don’t reject us for our doubts. Help us even in the midst of our deepest anxieties and worst fears to stay faithful to you. Amen.

FOCUS VERSE

Jude 1 : 22 NIV

Be merciful to those who doubt.