Give Me Doubt

Doubt is a bad thing, right? James 1:6 says, “Do not doubt” after all.

But could there be more to it?

Again, as we considered yesterday, perhaps some of the simpler versions of James that some of us learned in our earlier faith journeys are no longer as helpful. Simple binaries of right and wrong, acceptable and unacceptable, faith and doubt - these can be helpful as we are constructing our spiritual journey, but usually only to give us some clear directions towards a maturity that holds such binaries with less rigidity. Perhaps it’s the same with doubt.

How would you feel if I told you that in the New Testament we are invited to doubt as part of a healthy spiritual journey? That same Greek word in James 1:6 for Do not doubt (diakrino) is used in 1 Corinthians 11:31 as a way to mature: But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. The same word is again used, this time as a command, in 1 Corinthians 14:29 as a way to unpack peoples’ teaching: Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.

“Discerning” and “weigh carefully” are translations of the exact same Greek word as “doubt” in James 1:6. This does not mean that James 1:6 is a bad translation. It just means that there is a range of meaning for words, and the range is pretty broad for diakrino. One way to think of that Greek word is the image of stepping away to see something with a broader perspective. Thus, the very sort of ‘pulling back to gain some distance’ (another way of literally translating diakrino) that is helpful when evaluating our motives and the words of others like what Paul says in 1 Corinthians can be unhelpful when we’re leaning in to get close to God like what James 1:6 is talking about. Does that make sense?

So instead of just hating on all doubt, let’s reflect a bit on what’s behind our doubt. Is it a cynical pulling back from God because we don't want to get that close or risk disappointment? Or is it an insightful way of gaining some perspective to weigh our motives (or the motives of others) that may expose some new ways to grow? One can squelch faith. One can nurture it. Ask God for the grace to distinguish what kind of doubts you have (probably a mix of both!) and to take a next step on your spiritual journey.

As a resource, consider listening to this unusual worship song: Give Me Doubt by The Brilliance