 |
| Photo credit |
In today's modern world, what's the use of religion? It's simply old-fashioned superstition. Stories from the Bible are fairy tales. We don't need rituals like baptism and communion. Worse yet, fanatics from one religion kill extremists from another. Church leaders abuse children and steal money. Religion makes people stupid and evil. Jesus was a nice guy, but God's just not for me.
When you hear talk like that, it seems that belief in God is becoming rare these days. Maybe you have family members or friends who talk like this. Perhaps, although it is hard to admit it, you have heard doubts like this in your own mind.
Many Christians, even leaders and clergy, doubt but continue to come to church out of tradition, guilt, or fear. At times, we wish we could believe in Jesus Christ but don't. Church is boring; we think, “When will this service end so I can go home and watch my the game?" When we pray, we fear that no one out there is listening. Our prayer life is reduced to a quick “Our Father,” before bed just to cover our bases in case we die in our sleep. We think, "God, why did you take away my faith? Why don't I feel good when I pray anymore?” At times of doubt, religious practice stops giving us the comfort and assurance that we need.
But we want our piety to give us some happiness, comfort, or security. We enjoy beautiful worship and music. We meet new and interesting people at coffee hour. Being a Christian makes me feel like a respectable member of society, and reassures me that when I die I’ll go to heaven.
The comfort and assurance that comes from church, prayer, and Christian fellowship is great help in getting through our daily struggles. We all need the social support that we find in Christian fellowship. Yet when my religious practice stops giving me the comfort I want, my mixed motives are revealed. Maybe I've been using my religion selfishly. Maybe I use my piety to avoid or smooth over the rough spots in my life. When I’m caught off guard by fear of death, I start thinking about heaven as quick as I can, so that I don’t have to admit my mortality.
Times of doubt show us, in short, our childish and superficial approach to God. The use of religion to control our level of comfort is not real faith in Christ.
It seems that God sometimes allows a Christian’s piety to be removed for a season. This is not so that the Christian leaves the church and gives up on God. Rather, these times of doubt can be opportunities for spiritual growth. If we are honest and humble, sharing our thoughts with someone else, a pastor or a trusted friend, a period of doubt can be the time when false piety and magical thinking are removed. We can move from selfish piety to trust in Christ.
With honesty and humility, we can ask the Lord for help, even when he feels far away; we learn to rely more fully on Him. After all, I do not create God by my own piety. Reliance on our own piety gives way to real trust. We begin to trust that Jesus is Lord of the universe, and loves all humankind. Times of doubt are an opportunity to turn away from the false self and turn towards the true self, Jesus Christ.
When we learn, little by little, to trust in Jesus Christ rather than our own unaided will, we let ourselves be guided by Him. We let him take care of all those problems we see around us. It’s a relief not to be in the driver’s seat. Surely the creator and savior of all will be a better manager of my life than I will be. Guided by God’s will, we find joy and comfort that we couldn’t find when we were trying to control our lives.
