Doubts

SO often I hear people say to me, "I just don't think I can believe 'this or that' about Scripture.  The questions always remain.  And guess what?  You aren't the first to have doubts.  It wasn't until Thomas saw Jesus post-resurrection, put his fingers in the nail holes, touched His sides, heard His voice...that he believed.  Nearly 2000 years later, we kinda expect ourselves to believe.  And if we don't, we feel lost, disconnected...feeling like we are the only ones who can't swallow the church's teachings.  I think Jesus understood the problem that would arise in the years to come.  Seeing and believing go together.  Not-seeing but still believing is a step of faith.  Nobody said it was going to be easy.  Being a believer in Jesus Christ isn't for the faint of heart.  It's the hardest job you'll ever love to do.  Jesus' comment to Thomas is about faith:  "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."  (John 20:29b)  Faith isn't just about believing.  Faith comes from believing, over and over again.  You keep believing and it suddenly makes sense.  And it's okay to doubt.  It's okay to question God.  It's okay to wonder about "things" in Scripture.  But if you just keep believing, in spite of your doubts, God will make it all come together - in His time.  And I guarantee you that faith is strengthened through doubt.  Look where Peter was post-resurrection - he was hiding in a locked room, fearing for his life, scared out of his wits.  He came to believe, and through his belief, his faith was strengthened.  Now you might not sit on the throne of Peter as Pope, but you will come to understand and appreciate the words in Hebrews: "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see...By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. )Hebrews 11:1-3)