CAN FAITH WEATHER DOUBT?

 Mark 9:24

Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

                 I have often resonated with the exclamation of the father in Mark 9. He had brought his son to the disciples so that they could heal him, but the disciples failed. When Jesus arrived, the father pleaded with Him to do something. In his doubt and disappointment, he expressed his desire. If you can do something, please do it. Jesus responded by challenging the man’s doubts. The man’s response was honest and sincere. He believed that Jesus could heal his son, but he had doubts about whether Jesus would heal his son.

                I think many of our doubts come out of fear and disappointment. We are desperate for God to step in and help us, but we are afraid that He will not. Things don’t turn out the way we want them to, so we are disappointed and doubt that God cares about us. Theoretically we know that our doubts are unfounded, but in the heat of the moment they loom large. I know that God cares and that He is all powerful, but will He act on my behalf?

                I have been reading Lee Strobel’s book, The Case for Faith. In the final interview recorded in the book, Lee tackles the question of doubt. His basic question is, can doubt and faith coexist? Does doubt negate faith? The answer that he arrived at is yes doubt and faith can coexist and no doubt does not cancel out faith.

                Ultimately, our faith is based on the character of the object of our faith; Jesus Christ. Knowing what we know about Jesus’ character, we choose to trust Him, even when we have doubts. We don’t have to have all the answers before we act in faith. We just have to have enough evidence to step forward.

                As I think about the interplay of faith and doubt, I am reminded of two major times in my life when I had to step out in faith in the face of fears and doubt. The first was a ministry trip to the Philippines. Just before we were scheduled to leave for the trip, there was a spate of terrorist attacks throughout the Philippines. The question arose about whether or not we should go. Feeling that God wanted us to fulfill this mission, we all decided to move ahead. This step of faith didn’t remove all of the fear and doubt, but it did demonstrate trust in God’s leading.

                The second event happened shortly after 9/11. The question was, should we fly to Ukraine to fulfill our commitment to run Day Camps for our sister churches over there? For me, the fear and doubt did not arise before we left, but on the way home. At the outset of the trip, my mind was preoccupied with all of the details of getting our teams ready and getting them into Ukraine. It was on the way home that doubt crept in.

                I walked down the corridor and out onto the tarmac heading for the plane. I ascending the steps that led up into the body of the plane. Making my way down the cramped aisle to my seat, the thought came into my mind that if a terrorist wanted to take over a plane, it would be at this end of the trip. The flight from Kiev to Amsterdam went smoothly, but when I boarded the plane in Amsterdam the fear and doubt hit me full force. What if there was a terrorist aboard? At that moment, I had to trust God with the outcome. In both cases, even though I had doubts, I cast my lot with faith and trust in God.

                Doubt can play one of two roles in our faith. Doubt can either immobilize us or it can energize us. Many people allow their doubts to defeat them. Because of their doubts, they refuse to act. Instead of stepping out in faith, they choose to withdraw. On the other hand, many people use their doubts as a catalyst to explore their faith more fully. Instead of withdrawing, they dig deeper to look for answers to their doubts. They examine the cause of their doubts. They choose to step out in faith even when their doubts remain. Every person who is afraid of flying, yet still gets on the plane is an example of this kind of faith.

                There are many times in life when God asks us to get on the plane in the face of our fears and doubts. Sometimes our fears are realized, most of the time they are not. Yet even when our fears become reality, faith gives us the courage to continue to move forward. Abram left his homeland out of faith, even though he did not know where God was leading him. Joshua led the people of Israel across the Jordan River into the Promised Land, even in the face of formidable enemies, because he trusted God. Peter stood up in the Temple courts and preached the Gospel, even in the face of the threats from the very people who had crucified Jesus. Paul traveled throughout Asia Minor preaching the Gospel, even though he knew he would face much resistance. Many missionaries have left their homeland to share the good news of the Gospel in a foreign land, with not guarantee of success. All of these people faced doubts, but chose to act in faith.

                Doubt is a normal part of our faith journey. A faith that never encounters some doubt is a superficial, unexamined faith. God allows us to face doubt in order to strengthen our faith, not to damage it. We can choose to focus on our doubts or we can choose to focus on the one who can overcome our doubts.

Hebrews 11:1-2

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.