Doubt or a Transforming Conversation With God?

I think it is really important that our parents and our church know what is coming out of the Youth Wing. I am really big on encouraging our youth to ask questions. We encourage them to ask questions about everything in life but when it comes to the church and God we sometimes fail to encourage questions. So I have asked and will continue to ask our youth four basic questions about the things they struggle with, what competes for their time, life issues, faith ques-tions, and then very generally is there anything you would like to know about (stories, characters, books, issues, and so on). There is not a topic, issue, or life situation that is off limits for these questions, and the questions that your kids ask are amazing. They are very transparent and honest (the exact thing they are looking for us to be) with where they are in their rela-tionship with God.

There are truly no silly questions when it comes to figuring out who God is and how God works. The thing I have found most common is the fear to ask the questions that are truly on our hearts. Sometimes we see our questions as doubt ra-ther than transforming conversations with God. Sometimes we see ourselves as no better than that “Doubting Thomas” who walked with Jesus but because he doubted, he’s not as good as the other disci-ples. And because we doubt or have questions, we aren’t as good of a Christian as our friends. I disagree with this idea completely, Thomas was an amazing Disciple. He followed Jesus and was willing to follow Jesus, even if it meant death. But simply because he wanted to touch the holes in Jesus’ hands, remember-ing the last place he saw Jesus was on the cross, we label him “Doubting Thomas”. Just because we strug-gle with God and sometimes we doubt, that does not mean we are a not as good of a Christian as everyone else.

James 1:2-6
2 Dear brothers and sisters,[a] when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for ask-ing. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone.
I want to encourage you to stop considering
your struggles with faith, life issues, and your questions about God, doubt. I want you to begin to consider them the beginnings of a transforming conversation with God. God welcomes your questions, He welcomes your doubt, He welcomes you when you wrestle with tough issues. When we take ownership of our questions and struggles God works through those to show us where his Love and Grace are at work.
So I will ask you just as I have asked your youth. Where do you struggle? What are your doubts? Where have you seen God at work through these?

Love God, Love Others

Zach