Written by Tim Keller (1950 – 2023), American pastor, theologian, author, and Christian apologist. This is an excerpt from his book “The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism.”
A faith without some doubts is like a human body without any antibodies in it. People who blithely go through life too busy or indifferent to ask hard questions about why they believe as they do will find themselves defenseless against either the experience of tragedy or the probing questions of a smart skeptic. A person’s faith can collapse almost overnight if she has failed over the years to listen patiently to her own doubts, which should only be discarded after long reflection. Believers should acknowledge and wrestle with doubts—not only their own but their friends’ and neighbors’. It is no longer sufficient to hold beliefs just because you inherited them. Only if you struggle long and hard with objections to your faith will you be able to provide grounds for your beliefs to skeptics, including yourself, that are plausible rather than ridiculous or offensive. And, just as important for our current situation, such a process will lead you, even after you come to a position of strong faith, to respect and understand those who doubt.
Prayer:
Written by Kathryn Shirey, a contemporary writer.
O Lord, Father Almighty, I pray for help to strengthen my faith in you. I believe, but I don’t always believe in your power and might. I don’t always believe that in you all things are possible. I don’t always place my trust in you, instead trying to fix everything on my own. I don’t always turn to you first, instead turning to the world for answers and help. I have doubts about your role in the world today. I struggle to relate the scriptures to my own life. Lord, I believe, but help with my unbelief! Help my head and my heart and my soul to believe in you and trust in you fully, without a doubt, knowing that in you all things are possible. Lord, strengthen my faith! Amen.
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