Doubt: The Hidden Blessing

In youth group, a dear friend of mine had a reputation for being disruptive. Even as a child she was direct, forward and sometimes abrasive with expressing her questions about the gospel. Our ministry leaders (bless them) made attempts at answering her questions, but the existential nature of her inquiries required more time, tact and perhaps a stint at seminary. There was a prickly unspoken attitude towards her directness: don’t ask too many questions. 

Human nature, though, is to seek understanding. God gave us beautifully complex, curious minds. I think the apprehension surrounding questions is rooted in the fear that one might ultimately lead themselves to the point of deconstruction; but 1 Thessalonians 5:21 instructs believers to "test all things; hold fast to what is good. Are we to believe that if we dismantle the facts of the gospel, it will lead us to…nothing? I have personally found that the more questions I ask, the more evidence I find that supports the fact of the gospel. 

Francis Collins, former director of the Human Genome Project, converted to Christianity after realizing his discoveries only enhanced the reality of God. 

Exploring science, asking questions and embracing frustration are all actually forms of worship that draw us closer in intimacy with our beautiful Creator who longs for our desire to know him more.  

Faith that stands on its own is a strength established first by an encounter with Jesus, and is then enhanced and supported by our desire to understand how he functions. Doubt is not to be feared; it is to be leaned into, and the result is a deeper intimacy with him. 

-Written by Christy Bradley