Skip to main content

Doubt?

                Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31)

 

               Yes, it’s the last week of December, and I’ve just written about the rest that comes before the beginning. So how do I begin today? With anxiety about unfinished projects and the direction for the new year. In other words, the doubts are creeping in. Some are whispering. Some are screaming.

                And doubts aren’t always a bad thing. They’re part of preparation. If we didn’t have doubts and fears, we couldn’t be courageous. I’ve written before that one of the ways I know something is from God is if my reaction is “no, no, no, no, no, no, no.” But today, it feels like Jesus is holding His hand out, and I’m holding on to the side of the boat and having a tiny meltdown.

                Another memory surfaces – of a time when I tried waterskiing for the second and last time. The first trip was mostly face first through the water. The second time I got up. I’m not sure how long I was up, but I spent the whole time screaming for them to stop because I couldn’t let go of the line to signal them or stop myself. If I had, I (probably) would have sunk comfortably into the water.

                The parallel is that I’m not in any real danger now, either. What I’m seeing is that there are more steps in the process. I begin with “no, no, no, no, no, no, no.” The next step is, “Oh, OK (sheesh!)” The third step is “But what if…what if…what iff?”

                And the fourth step? There are a few forms it could take. One is “Jesus, help! I’m drowning!” Another is “Emmanuel…God with us… God with me.” Another is “Wisdom, direction, and attitude!” That means it’s all about the resting described yesterday – the preparation of one’s resources, including faith. So, it’s a good thing that doubts are coming – and being dealt with – now. That will free me to act when the time comes.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Higher Thoughts

  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the  Lord . “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)           The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,   for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord      so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:15-16) If you read about the ancient gods of the various peoples, you’ll find that they think just like people. In fact, they think just like the sort of people we really wouldn’t want to be around. They think like the most corrupt Hollywood producer or, like hormone overloaded teens with no upbringing.   It’s embarrassing to read. I have a friend who argues that because God is not just like us, He is so vastly dif...
2 comments
Read more

Think About These Things

                 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8) This passage is a major challenge for me. Like everyone else, I struggle to keep my thoughts from wandering off into the weeds, then wondering what possible benefits those weeds might have… Sigh. But as a writer, I have to delve at least a little into the ignoble, wrong, impure, unlovely, and debased. After all, there’s no story if everything’s just as it should be and everyone’s happy. As Christians, there are times when we need to deal with all the negatives, but that makes it even more important that we practice turning our minds by force of attention to what is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. It’s just too easy to get stuck in a swamp. With my...
1 comment
Read more

A Virgin?

           Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)           This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18)           But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”            “How will this be,” Mary asked the...
Post a Comment
Read more