When
You are Troubled by Doubt
Because
faith is a mystery, we will find ourselves from time to time
experiencing doubt, and questioning the very
things we have been taught are true. Some religious traditions
try to keep doubt from ever reaching the surface, because there
is a concern that it will not only lead people to question the
institutional faith they have been given, but will also steer
them into unhealthy and dangerous belief systems.
In
truth, doubt is simply the other side of faith. One can't really
exist without the other. They
are twin movements in our
understanding of God and ourselves. There is no need to fear
doubt, because doubt actually helps you make sense of what you
believe. It causes you to question, search, and look for answers.
In fearlessly asking the questions and searching for truth (both
about yourself and about the traditions that have been handed
down to you), you actually grow up in your faith—you
come to a new level of spiritual maturity.
Any faith that is not questioned is a weak faith, because it
has no individual understanding and responsibility. True faith
comes from doing what it takes to make sense of who God is in
our life, and what God is calling us to do and to be in this
world. The Bible, the historic faith, the institutional memory,
is an aid for the development of faith, but without our own inner
work, it remains as hollow as a cavern that splits a solid mountain
in two.
When you feel doubtful, or find yourself questioning the truth
of what you have been told, be gentle with yourself. Don't
try to force yourself to believe what seems to be unreal to
you. Try to keep your eyes open to see God in the moments and
activities of each day, in the people you encounter, and in
the silence of your own soul. Tell God about your struggle
and ask for clarity.
Read
a little Scripture from time to time and try to be open to
new meanings, new understandings. Above
all, remember that God loves you boundlessly, unconditionally,
and eternally. Nothing is ever lost in God. Take the time
you need to find your own faith. God's love is large enough
to
give you that space, and God will walk with you on the journey.
To
try: It might be good for you to visit a church
or other holy place that is completely different from the
one in which you have participated,
in order to give yourself an experience of God that is outside
your familiar understanding. This will not lead you away from
your traditional faith. Rather, it will help you become clearer
about the truth of your own faith.
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