Lessons from a Doubter
Faith doesn't believe because of personal experience; faith believes in spite of personal experience.
Even though he followed Jesus, learned from him, and observed him perform miracles for three years - Thomas was skeptical about Jesus’ resurrection. If even Thomas, “one of the Twelve,” was overcome by doubt and uncertainty, how easy it is for us today!
When doubts arise in your heart, don’t demand exceptional evidence to make your doubt disappear. Thomas’ fellow disciples kept telling him, “We have seen the Lord,” but he demanded exceptional evidence, placing his faith in his own experience. “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 it,” was Thomas' rebuttal.
If you are waiting for exceptional evidence (for instance, an angel appearing at your bedside and informing you that God really does care) to remove your doubts, you are replacing faith with your own personal experience. And then, it’s not faith is it? Faith doesn’t believe because of personal experience; faith believes in spite of personal experience, when God says so.
Now, before you start getting the idea that Thomas is a lousy doubter who deserves to be thrown to the lions, there is an exemplary way he dealt with his doubt. Thomas looked to God to dismiss his doubt. Thomas could have easily said, “Unless I talk to the guards who were at the tomb, I won’t believe,” or “Unless I see the rock rolled away from the tomb, I won’t believe,” but he desired God himself to dismiss his doubt.
Then again, Jesus could have countered his dare and told Thomas, “No, sir; unless you first believe in me I’m not coming into that locked room one more time.” But instead we find the Savior just as patient and compassionate as ever, and today just as willing to answer anyone who comes to him with their doubts and fears.
That means we who doubt need not hide from God or the church. We dare not do that. It is only in them that we will find the greatest of patience and compassion to help. Depend on God’s Word alone to dismiss your doubts and lead you to believe, which is what God promises, “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, in many ways my faith is so incomplete and weak; yet in you it is perfect. If my faith were only a product of what I could put into it, I’d be lost. But I’m grateful that your resurrection means my faith is sure of what is uncertain, and my faith knows what I can’t see. Keep me strong to the end, and replace my doubts with confidence. Amen.