Faith's Improbable Fuel
Theme of the Week: Confident Doubt-Handling
James Emery
Monday, May 26, 2008
 1 of 1
Key Bible Verse: "John the Baptist sent us to ask, 'Are you the Messiah we've been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?'"(Luke 7:20).Bonus Reading: Luke 7:18-23
My mother didn't trivialize my question with a "don't worry" reply. She knew me well enough to know my question was serious and that how she answered could decide my spiritual future. The question resonated with her. For, I later discovered, she had yet to fully embrace the Christian faith herself.
"Jim," she said, "your father and I have looked at the world faiths, and determined that Christianity is the right one. It's not just about where we live. But you have to come to that in your own mind. So you're welcome to look into all the world religions and draw your own conclusions. If, in the end, you want to go to a different church or believe something else, you may."
When she said that, two things happened. First, I heaved a sigh of relief because they'd apparently done their homework. And second, I was free to pursue my questions without fear of retribution. There was something reassuring about such freedom. Doubt itself isn't wrong, my parents taught me; it's the fuel that energizes faith as we seek understanding. Doubt is a developmental stage humans are guaranteed to experience throughout their faith journey.
—James Emery White in Embracing the Mysterious God
My Response: What makes a faith subjected to questioning scrutiny stronger than a never-questioned faith?
Adapted from Embracing the Mysterious God (InterVarsity, 2003) by permission.
Copyright © 2008 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity. 1 of 1
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Thank You, Lord, that while what I believe is beyond comprehension, it's never contrary to reason.
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