Doubting Thomas, Doubting Grace, Doubting You?

2007 was a hectic year for me, filled with doubts and anxiety about my Christian faith.

Is Jesus real? Is He the only way? Is He the truth, like He says He is?!?

I know of people that quash any doubts that they have about their Christian faith immediately, thinking that that's ungodly and sinful. However, I'm of the opinion that doubting can be, and often is, a good spur for growth.

We should not be scared of doubting and questioning the Bible's claims, for if it contains the truth like it says, it WILL stand up to the light.

God has also given us rational brains, capable of logical thought, to be used.

However, I think that one can distinguish between godly and ungodly doubting.

Godly doubting seeks to find answers to genuine intellectual problems and is a stimuli to increased maturity in Christ.
Ungodly doubting is a persistance in doubts, even after intellectual queries have been answered, because of our own sinful nature and reluctance to follow Jesus as King.

An example of this was when I stopped reading my Bible earlier this year for a month or more, 'cause I was questioning Christianity. However, even when my doubts were answered and I once again realized the Jesus IS God, and that He DOES offer us eternal life, I didn't pick up my Bible for quite a while because of my laziness and lack of self-discipline.

So you, if you are doubting today, use this as a spur for growth. Do not get stuck in it!

[PS I don't really have any biblical backing for this; it's just something I've been thinking about.]