Weekly Devotion by Pastor Tim Smith
Hebrews 11: 1-3 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. 3By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.
20th-century theologian Paul Tillich said that doubt isn't the opposite of faith. Far from it! Doubt, he insisted, is a necessary element of faith. I couldn't agree more. Faith requires doubt in the same way that courage requires fear. Courageous people would be simply foolish if they faced unbelievable odds and danger and were not afraid. No, the whole point is that they ARE very afraid, yet they act boldly despite their fear to pursue or defend or rescue what they most deeply value.
Doubt means that we cannot prove something. We cannot know in the same way that we know that the world is round or that gravity will cause the object I'm holding to fall to the ground when I release it. Believing without doubt, like courage without fear, is utter foolishness. Faith means moving forward, hoping, trusting, not knowing where we go, not being able to prove anything and yet with conviction that there is purpose and hope and promise and fulfillment beyond my limited understanding.
20th-century theologian Paul Tillich said that doubt isn't the opposite of faith. Far from it! Doubt, he insisted, is a necessary element of faith. I couldn't agree more. Faith requires doubt in the same way that courage requires fear. Courageous people would be simply foolish if they faced unbelievable odds and danger and were not afraid. No, the whole point is that they ARE very afraid, yet they act boldly despite their fear to pursue or defend or rescue what they most deeply value.
Doubt means that we cannot prove something. We cannot know in the same way that we know that the world is round or that gravity will cause the object I'm holding to fall to the ground when I release it. Believing without doubt, like courage without fear, is utter foolishness. Faith means moving forward, hoping, trusting, not knowing where we go, not being able to prove anything and yet with conviction that there is purpose and hope and promise and fulfillment beyond my limited understanding.
Frederick Buechner writes, "Faith is better understood as a verb than as a noun, as a process than as a possession. It is on-again-off-again rather than once-and-for-all. Faith is not being sure where you're going, but going anyway. A journey without maps." Martin Luther reminds us (Small Catechism, Apostles Creed Article 3 explanation) that we "cannot by our own understanding or effort believe in Jesus Christ [our] Lord or come to him." It's a gift of the Holy Spirit; not an accomplishment!
Everyone has faith in something. Everyone centers life somewhere. The candidates for that something and somewhere are unlimited, which is why the first commandment was to have no other gods before the God who rescued Israel from Egypt, the God who is further revealed in raising Jesus from the dead. The things that matter most we can't know-not for sure. We have to trust, to hope, to believe!
We believe, O God. Help thou our unbelief! We think we know a lot. We confess that we know virtually nothing. Help us to trust in your promises, to live by your promises. Help our faith to be a verb rather than merely a noun. We pray in the name of Christ our Lord, Amen.
Everyone has faith in something. Everyone centers life somewhere. The candidates for that something and somewhere are unlimited, which is why the first commandment was to have no other gods before the God who rescued Israel from Egypt, the God who is further revealed in raising Jesus from the dead. The things that matter most we can't know-not for sure. We have to trust, to hope, to believe!
We believe, O God. Help thou our unbelief! We think we know a lot. We confess that we know virtually nothing. Help us to trust in your promises, to live by your promises. Help our faith to be a verb rather than merely a noun. We pray in the name of Christ our Lord, Amen.
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