Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Faith and Doubt


"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted." - Matthew 28:16-17

I read these words recently and was for the most part encouraged by them. The passage talks about how some of the disciples who had now seen and spoken with the resurrected Christ (a man they had seen die) . . . doubted. It's extraordinary really. If anyone should be bursting at the seams with faith, it should have been the disciples. And yet, seconds before receiving the Great Commission, Matthew includes in his account "but some doubted."

Whey did he include this less then inspiring phrase? I know, I know, only God knows for sure. But I wonder if he wanted us to see how even in one of the greatest religious experiences of their lives, some doubted. These men chosen by Christ were weak! And yet all of these men went on and spread the Gospel, becoming great evangelists, leaders, and men of God. Their doubt did not kill their faith.

I figure that if God could still use those men, he can still use me, even if I doubt sometimes.

May Light increase!

2 comments:

Jobina said...

Amen Mark! I spent so many years beating myself up for having doubts, thinking that I wasn't a Christian anymore and recommitting my life over and over at too many church/youth services. At some point I accepted that as a human I'm going to have my doubts and decided to just keep pushing on and walk step by step with God everyday. It hasn't made this walk perfect, but I feel like I have a healthier relationship with God because of it. I never noticed that verse though, thanks.

Mark said...

Jobina: I think that doubt is the guilty little secret of many Christians. Somehow we need to accept it, learn from it, and aspire to faith without completely giving into doubt and becoming discouraged by it.
-Mark