doubtful faith

exactly what I needed to hear today...
(thank you Sarah for pointing me to it)

This young boy... told me he had doubts about his faith; he was troubled in spirit. By the time he was finished, his voice was shaky and he was on the verge of tears. What a burden for such young shoulders!

I was overcome with admiration, and I told him so. That he was wrestling with these things was no indicator of a lack of faith, but an abundance of it. If he was wondering about things like salvation and faith and the nature of Jesus’ love, he was farther along on his journey than I was at his age.
Anne Lamott said, “The opposite of faith is not doubt, it’s certainty.”
Faith is obedience in the face of doubt, which is to say, faith requires doubt in order to survive. Faith is a courageous act of defiance, not always a happy-go-lucky frolic.

So the problem wasn’t his doubt; the problem was his fear.
“There is no fear in love,“ says 1 John 4:18.
So ask your questions, lie awake wondering, wrestle with angels, even shake your fist at the heavens, but don’t be afraid. Perfect love drives out fear, and Jesus’ love is perfect.
It is strong enough for our doubt, our sin, and even our secret fears.

(emphasis mine)