The Bible is full of doubting people.
Abraham and Sarah doubted that God would give them a child. (Genesis 16-18)
Asaph, David’s chief musician, doubted because the wicked prospered, and doubted the value of serving God. (Psalm 73)
Job doubted God’s goodness and justice. (More on Job later.)
Moses doubted that God could use him to lead Israel. (Exodus 4:10-13)
Gideon doubted God could use him to battle Israel’s oppressors. (Judges 6:14-18)
Zechariah doubted that he and Elizabeth would have a son. (Luke 1:18-20)
Thomas doubted that Jesus rose from the dead. (John 20:24-29)
The other disciples doubted when Jesus appeared to them. (Luke 24:36-43)
Even just before Jesus ascended into heaven, some doubted. (Matthew 28:16-17)
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So, what does this mean for us? Here are some thoughts.
But while in some respects [faith and doubt] are enemies,
in other ways they are surprisingly alike:
both are concerned with ultimate issues;
both pop up unasked for at unexpected moments;
both are necessary.”
John Ortberg Jr., Faith and Doubt: Embracing Uncertainty in Your Faith
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The strength of your faith is not measured by the absence of doubt,
but by the faithfulness of your life in the face of doubt.
Nicky Gumbel
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“For many people in our world, the opposite of faith is doubt.
The goal, then, within this understanding, is to eliminate doubt.
But faith and doubt aren’t opposites.
Doubt is often a sign that your faith has a pulse,
that it’s alive and well and exploring and searching.
Faith and doubt aren’t opposites,
they are, it turns out, excellent dance partners.”
Rob Bell, What We Talk about When We Talk about God
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“Prove the existence of God,” we say.
And I find it quite interesting to note that it is the God who we doubt
who Himself has given us the privilege to doubt.
Therefore, is it possible that the existence of doubt suggests the existence of God?”
Craig D. Lounsbrough
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And finally,
“If Christ spent an anguished night in prayer,
if He burst out from the Cross, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’
then surely we are also permitted doubt.
But we must move on.
To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to
choosing immobility as a means of transportation.”
Yann Martel, Life of Pi