Doubt can be hard for us to wrestle with, especially if we’re afraid that it means we’re losing our faith. If we open up to God about our fears, though, he won’t leave us to struggle alone. God promises to walk alongside us through every dark valley and give us a spirit of discernment as we examine our doubts. In this episode, Gary Wilkerson talks about how doubt can hurt Christians but also how it can be one of our most useful tools for understanding God better.
Key Questions from the Podcast
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Why do so many Christians struggle with doubt?
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Why does much of the church avoid talking about doubt?
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Are doubt and unbelief the same thing?
Notable Quotes from the Podcast
There are two types of doubt. There's the unhealthy doubt that leads towards unbelief. There's another kind of doubt that is healthy. It questions assumptions that we've made, that we don't really believe. We espouse these different viewpoints and we don't really believe in them. That kind of doubt is actually good—to question as to why do I believe this or don't believe that. – Gary Wilkerson
Doubt is defined as a tension between two competing ideas. There are only two ways to deal with those competing ideas. You either face it head on and come to resolve or bury it in denial. – Gary Wilkerson
It's important to point out that doubt is not unbelief. Some people confuse those two. Having doubts doesn't mean that you don't believe. – Bob Ditmer
Faith is, “God will.” Doubt is, “God can?” Unbelief is, “God can't.” – Gary Wilkerson
Doubt can be an exercise that makes your faith stronger, but you shouldn’t live in a place of doubt. That will make you dour, sour, unhappy, and unpleasant. – Gary Wilkerson