Is it okay to doubt God at church? It's one thing to doubt God
in the science lab or classroom. But shouldn't church be a place where we
suspend reason and accept certain things on "faith"? Apparently,
Jesus and the disciples thought otherwise!
When Thomas expressed doubts at the
proposition of Jesus' resurrection, the disciples (John 20:25) didn't write off Thomas as a lost
cause. Instead, the disciples continued embracing Thomas in community (see John 20:26). Neither is Jesus put off by
Thomas' questions. Rather, Jesus invites Thomas to put him to the test!
("Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place
it in my side." John 20:27.)
Conversations about doubt happen when we listen carefully to one
another while being honest about our own doubts and questions. Rather than
trying to "fix" another person's doubts, we keep the focus on how we
have seen God at work in our own lives and we encourage the other to put Jesus
to the test in his/her own way. Jesus is not threatened or disappointed by our
doubts. We can be confident that if he is who he says he is, Jesus can answer
even our most nagging doubts and questions.
If you missed the weekend message, you can listen to it
here. To prepare for this weekend, read John 7:53-8:11.
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