Dear Family and Friends,

Have you ever felt insecure or even unsure about your faith in Jesus? Have you ever had doubts about Who and what you so badly want to believe in – God, Jesus, the Bible?

I have. I call it faith insecurity. Faith held back by doubts caused by unanswered questions ranging from whether the Bible was truly God’s word to the very existence of God…and everything in between.

My faith was stuck in first gear for many years, not knowing where to turn and too embarrassed to ask. Listening to sermons and reading the Bible helped, but the doubts lingered.

I even shied away from reading scary passages, like:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” ‭‭James‬ ‭1:5-8‬ NIV

Can you relate to my experience? Do you wonder if your faith is real when you have all these questions and doubts?

If this is you, please know that we are not alone. Struggling with faith is actually quite common.

A study by Barna Research found that two-thirds of Christians admitted to having doubts. And quite honestly, I doubt the honesty of the other one-third.

More importantly, having doubts is actually good for our faith. Why? Notice that every time a question is answered, whether it is by God Himself, His word, a pastor or an author, your doubts diminish while your faith deepens. Truth builds faith.

So here we have it – one way to grow our faith is by taking those lingering questions head on.

As we do, keep in mind that there are certain doubts that will never be put to rest this side of Heaven. Like the doubts that arise when asked to believe in a God we cannot see.

“Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen.” Hebrews‬ ‭11:1‬ NASB

And the doubts that arise when things don’t go our way.

“Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT

As we seek to address our doubts, let’s remember that building our faith is not a race. Be content with the pace God wills for us. (See Hebrews 6:3)

Let’s also remember that doubt is not the opposite of faith. Having doubt does not mean we have less or no faith. Doubt is actually the evidence of faith.

Asking tough questions shows we are seriously pursuing the truth. And what that truth means for our lives.

This is what being a disciple, a follower of Jesus, is all about.

In love always,