"...if we begin with doubts, and are patient with them, we shall end in certainties." Francis Bacon
The renowned lawyer, Clarence Darrow, was once invloved in a public debate with a certain Mr. Roy L. Smith. Darrow proclaimed, "They tell me there is a God; but I have never seem him, I have never touched him, I have no personal acqaintance with him." To which Mr. Smith replied, "It is credibly reported that Mr. Darrow has a mind; but I have never seen it, I have never touched it, I have no proof of it at all."
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1
No matter where you are in your faith-walk, you have experienced doubts somewhere along the path. Some people see this as an indication of a lack of faith and are embarrassed by it. In Greek the word for doubt is an antonym for the word for faith. But Francis Bacon saw doubt as nothing more than a place where faith had not yet developed to maturity. So is doubt the opposite of faith or a prelude to it? Let me know what you think! Here are some Scripture passages to help you along the way. Enjoy!
James 1:5-8
Mark 9:14-29
Matthew 14:22-33
John 20:24-29
Sneak peek at next week: asking for signs - okay or not?
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I think that doubt and faith are opposites. You truly have to have faith in yourself before you doubt something.
ReplyDeleteSometimes doubt can be a prelude to faith. You can doubt whether or not God will get you through a certain situation. However, if you have faith then that is not really an issue.
It is a personal perspective of what you think of the two.
It's been my experience on my faith journey that doubt is a part of faith development. Working through doubt strengthens faith, sort of like a spiritual surgery or recovery. It's the healing, like when Jesus performed his miracles, that adds spiritual muscle and strength. The day that I totally stop having doubts ..... well, I doubt that day will ever come. And that's okay - God's grace will continue to flow and guide me to grow in faith.
ReplyDeleteThanks agaain for all who responded. There is a difference, Scripturally, between having doubts and not believing. Those who do not believe take a solid stand against some aspect of faith that others do believe. But doubts leave a person stranded spiritually somewhere in the middle. As if the heart wants to say 'yes' but the mind says 'it can't be.'
ReplyDeleteDoubt is not then the opposite of faith, but an indication of where the disciple is on their journey of faith. If the doubts persist they can easily turn into disbelief, but if doubts are challenged, studied, prayed about, faced head-on, then Christ is able to draw the disciple into a deeper place of understanding.
The biggest issue for doubts then is whether or not to remain with them and thus stagnate in our faith or to move through them to greater faith.
Thanks be to God for drawing us deeper. Amen!