Chris Knight
No. Doubt is not necessarily a sign of weak faith. Sometimes doubt is actually evidence that we are taking our faith seriously enough to wrestle with it. After all, you usually do not wrestle with things you do not care about. I have never spent a sleepless night wondering whether I have correctly understood the operating instructions for my dishwasher.
Following Jesus does not require us to understand everything about God. If it did, Christianity would have a very small membership roster. Probably just God. The reality is that we are finite human beings trying to understand an infinite God. There are going to be moments when we scratch our heads and say, “I have absolutely no idea what You are doing right now.”
The Bible is filled with faithful people who had serious questions. Abraham wondered how God would fulfill His promises. Moses questioned whether he was the right guy for the job. Job had enough questions to fill several chapters. David repeatedly asked God why He seemed distant. Even John the Baptist, who had publicly identified Jesus as the Messiah, later sent messengers asking, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” (Matthew 11:3, NLT). Apparently, having questions does not automatically disqualify you from having faith.
One of my favorite examples comes from a desperate father who brought his son to Jesus. Jesus told him, “Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father responded with one of the most honest prayers in Scripture: “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:23–24, NLT). I love that prayer because it sounds like real life. “Jesus, I believe. I trust You. I am following You. But I also have questions, fears and a few things I would really appreciate You explaining.”
There is, however, a difference between honest doubt and hardened unbelief. Honest doubt says, “I do not understand, so I am going to keep seeking.” Hardened unbelief says, “I do not understand, so I refuse to trust.” God welcomes our questions, but He also calls us to keep following Him while we search for answers.
Isaiah reminds us that God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8–9). We should expect some mystery. A God small enough for me to completely understand would probably look suspiciously like me and I can assure you, nobody needs me running the universe! I have enough trouble remembering where I parked my truck at Meijer.
So bring your questions to Jesus. Read Scripture. Pray honestly. Talk with mature believers. Look for thoughtful, biblical answers. Do not pretend your doubts are not there, but do not let them become an excuse to stop pursuing God.
Sometimes strong faith does not sound like, “I have everything figured out.” Sometimes it sounds like that father standing before Jesus saying, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief.”
Jesus is not threatened by your questions. Keep bringing them to Him. Mature faith is not having all the answers. It is continuing to trust the One who does.