The Purpose of Doubt

One of the disciples, Thomas, was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in His hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in His side.” - John 20:24-25

Did you ever doubt something and feel bad for doubting it? I’m talking, for example, about the sincerity of someone you’re dealing with. You want to believe that they’re sincere, that they’re “shooting straight” with you. But somehow you doubt. If they are a good person, especially a fine, upstanding Christian, you may feel badly about this doubt you have toward them. I’ve had reservations about even my own pastor at times. While I had those reservations, I’d also have guilt and shame for my reservations. Are guilt and shame supposed to go with doubt? I don’t think so.

John tells us the story of Thomas, who became known as “doubting Thomas.” In this story, I see something about doubt that I believe extends from Thomas all the way through history to you and me. I see the purpose of doubt. I see how Satan can pervert doubt and cause it to be misused. God created us and He put that doubting spirit in us. But I’m pretty sure He didn’t do so to ensure that we’d have a lack of trust or faith in each other or our circumstances. I’m even surer that He didn’t give us the spirit of doubt in order for us to feel guilt and shame.

So what are we to make of doubt? Well, to be sure, can doubt without having to live a doubting life. Let me say that again. We can doubt --- have healthy doubt --- without having to live a doubting life. What is a “doubting life?” That would be a life that’s paralyzed by doubt. It would be a life that’s full of cynicism. It would be a life that has no foundations of truth on which to operate.

Doubt encourages us to rethink things. Its God-given purpose in our lives is more to sharpen our thinking than to change it. Doubt can be used to pose the question, get an answer and push for a decision. But doubt was never meant to be a permanent condition. Doubt is one foot lifted, poised to step forward or backward. Of course, there is no progress until the foot comes down!

So what does this have to do with our relationships? The simple truth is that we are always going to have doubts about each other or maybe just about where we stand with each other. But instead of settling into those doubts and operating from them, we should move on from them to decision and belief.

Our doubts should motivate us to take action --- seeking the truth about whatever it is that we doubt. And you know what I find to be most valuable in that process (besides reading what God’s Word might have for me on a subject)? I find it’s most useful to find another believer, another Christ-follower --- someone who is at least as spiritually mature and grounded in Christ (the source of all truth) whom I can share my doubts with. Then they can help me find the answers and move on to faith.

A wise man once said that “silent doubts rarely find answers.” I think that makes sense. For doubts to find answers become something other than doubts, they have to be expressed to God, to other Christians and worked out in truth.

“Lord, I confess that I doubt. Sometimes my doubts drive my behaviors. I know they shouldn’t. I ask your forgiveness for the times when I act from my own brokenness. And I ask that You call me to action when my doubts are starting to gain too much influence in my life. Call me to share them with another believer who can help me find the truth and move out of my doubt. Always, Father, lead me from doubt to truth, faith and action. Help me to never let doubt become a permanent condition in my life. Amen.”