In the insightful and entertaining movie "The Life of Pi," the main character, after suffering incredible loss, is asked if doubt had eroded his faith. In his answer, Pi does not deny the doubts that had crept in. Instead, he faces the doubt head on, saying, "Doubt is a useful thing. You cannot know the strength of your faith until it has been tested."
Many Christians are afraid of doubt. They see it as failure, a sign of weakness, an indication that they are not spiritual enough. This is understandable but untrue. The Bible is filled with stories of solid, faithful God-followers who sometimes struggled to "believe." The Psalms resonate with laments questioning God's plan, his decisions, and even his wisdom. And how can we forget the new testament father who believed that "everything is possible," and yet still could only utter "help me overcome my unbelief" (Mark 9:14-29).
Despite what we've seen and experienced, regardless of what we know or believe, we will still sometimes have doubts. Instead of running from your doubts, ignoring them, or pretending they don't exist, face them head on. They will test the strength of your faith, and draw you closer to your Creator.
