There is great integrity in a leader who fosters doubt in his congregation
Humans possess curious natural instincts. Of all of creation, no creature is more curious than humans.
God created us with this natural instinct. It’s as evident in the Garden as it is in your heart today.
Great faith is produced within an ecosystem where question is a free fulcrum between doubting God and having great trust.
Doubt is not the enemy of faith.
Indoctrination is.
Doubt is normal, it lives in a persons heart from his first breath to his last.
Fear of questioning inhibits faith development.
Doubt is not the enemy of the church.
Fear of doubt is.
Great faith does not come through eliminating doubt.
Great faith comes when a person has measured doubt’s full weight and chosen faith.
Consider Thomas
Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
What’s the point?
Often times, the biggest doubter among you- given the freedom to doubt, will develop the deepest faith.
We are not called to eliminate doubt.
How did Jesus deal with Thomas’ doubt? He chastised him a little, but allowed Thomas to express his doubt. Jesus didn’t look down on Thomas because of his doubt. Instead he knew that by allowing Thomas the freedom to doubt, a faith weighed and tested, would generate great faith.
And as a result Jesus knew Thomas would become a rock solid believer and took the Gospel to India.
