Doubt.

“Doubt” is a four letter word in many Christian communities. Faith is the name of the game, and Christian subculture has made is pretty tough for us to admit our deep-seated anxieties and fears about this whole Jesus thing. Doubt is of the devil. It isn’t Christian. It makes us unspiritual.

I’ve walked the path of doubt at several points in my life as a Christ follower. I’ve experienced the loneliness and despair that it can bring. But I find a lot of encouragement in Matthew 28:17-20:

When they saw [Jesus], they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

“And some still doubted?” The same disciples who had just seen and interacted with the resurrected Jesus? The same disciples who had seen all the incredible miracles that Jesus had done? These same disciples doubted.

Jesus’ prescription for these men was not to keep waiting until their doubts were gone. It wasn’t a scolding or a “how dare you” for still having some trouble believing in him. Jesus’ response was to send these men with their doubts out to go and start his church.

Jesus still sends us with our doubts, too. And surprisingly, we can learn a lot about life and following Jesus along the way.