By Abby Rathburn | Staff Writer
In many Christian circles, doubt is something to be avoided, rather than explored. Those who wrestle with their faith are often encouraged to keep the questioning to themselves and simply “put more faith in God.”
While it may be impossible for every question to be answered, that does not mean there is no place for questioning in faith. In fact, I would argue that it is an essential part of growth in faith. But before determining if doubt is compatible with faith, it is important to know what faith is.
According to Merriam-Webster, faith can mean many things. Faith can mean allegiance to a duty or person; loyalty and trust in God; or, more generally, believing in something with strong conviction.
For a long time, I thought having questions about my faith meant I wasn’t doing a good enough job in trusting God, but the more I have learned, the more I have realized that questioning what I believe does not mean I believe it any less.
In my youth, I was blessed with the opportunity to meet and know all four of my great-grandparents. One in particular, whom I called him Great Grandpa Boyce, played a central role in the development of who I am today. A lot of my memories with him stem from his teaching me to play checkers and our conversations that flowed during those games.
Unfortunately, when I was 11 years old, he passed. I was heartbroken. I couldn’t understand why God would take someone away from me that I loved so much. I found myself wrestling with questions I never had before. Where is God in my grief? How can God be good and let this happen? How can I trust in a God whose plans I don’t understand?
I thought that if I really believed in the truth of the gospel, those questions wouldn’t even exist. It took me a very long time to realize that those questions were not something I needed to overcome, but an opportunity to understand what I believe and why I believe it.
One of the best places to do this is right here on Baylor’s campus.
At a university that pushes its students to pursue knowledge, challenge assumptions, and think critically, why should those same principles stop when it comes to faith? In short, it doesn’t.
According to Baylor’s mission statement, the university seeks to integrate academic excellence with Christian commitment, affirming the value of intellectually formed faith in learning.
To me, this means that faith and intellectual curiosity are not mutually exclusive. Baylor does not ask students to leave their curiosity at the door when they enter the classroom, so they shouldn’t feel the need to do so when approaching their faith.
Asking questions does not mean we are rejecting the gospel. Rather, it means we are taking the time to more deeply understand what our faith is rooted in and why.
Scripture demonstrates this coexistence beautifully. In Mark 9:24, a father is pleading with Jesus to cleanse his demon-possessed son. It says, “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’”
Rather than rebuking the man for his wavering faith, Jesus accepts his honest and open surrender and casts out the unclean spirit from his son.
We should have a faith like the father’s. We don’t need to pretend like we have some perfect faith. Perfect faith doesn’t exist in a sinful world. Instead, we are called to hand our doubts directly to Jesus.
One of the easiest ways to do that is through prayer. According to the National Library of Medicine, the act of providing spiritual support shows individuals that they are seen as an important part of the congregation and enhances motivation for resolving religious doubt.
Seeking answers does not have to be a solitary process, nor does it mean we have to have everything figured out before turning to God. Oftentimes, the first step toward understanding our faith is a willingness to bring our doubts and struggles before God, trusting that God can meet us in the midst of our uncertainties.
