God Calls Some Not To Believe

“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” - Mark 9:24

This phrase gets a lot of play in church circles because we can all relate to it. Sometimes we believe. Sometimes we don’t. And pretty much all the time we need help.

Is there a chance that not believing could be helpful at some point on the spiritual journey? Sure, that sounds heretical at first blush, but perhaps there’s some ways in which letting go of an unhealthy faith is more holy than holding on to it. What do you think of that idea?

Spend some time today with this insight from this well-known poet who grew up Christian, became an atheist, and later in life returned to following Jesus.

Doubt is so woven into faith and cannot be separated from it. And I’m convinced that the same God that might call me to sing of God at one time, at another time might call me to sing of God-lessnes… God may call people to unbelief so that faith can take new forms.

- Poet Christian Wiman, in an interview with Krista Tippet, On Being podcast