Doubt …… in a world of absolutes. by Mark Mitchell

It would almost be arrogant to say that you have no doubt about any of your conclusions in life. In fact, the assumption that we have figured everything out is ridiculous. For me the most astonishing truth is the more I learn the less I truly know. By that I mean as I continue to learn, I realize how much I didn’t know. Then how much more don’t I understand and know. This paradox is illustrated all throughout the bible. Every time someone thinks they know what is absolute then God shows them they were wrong. There is Job and his friends, Abraham and Sarah, Jacob, Joseph and his brothers, Samuel, and I could keep going on.

Take for example Jacob, because he was supposed to receive the birthright he deceived and manipulated those he supposedly loved in order to get Esau’s birthright. By his deception was forced to leave his home and go live with his Uncle. Jacob works for his uncle and then trades years of his life to have one of his daughters for his own. Then his loved one deceived him so he could have him work then originally intended. Hopefully everyone remembers this story. It is Genesis chapter 25-30. But then Jacob decides to come back home, and he knows his brother will be waiting on him. Though he knows God wants him to go back, he is scared and unsure of God. He doubts some of the promises that God has made to him.

The night before Jacob is to meet Esau. He is all alone. During the night a stranger attack him and they begin to wrestle. They wrestle through the night. It seems that Jacob has his opponent pinned. But then the table is turned, and, in the process, he is lamed. Jacob wants to know the name of this man. But he does not say tell him instead he asks for his name. He replies Jacob. The man then tells him is name will now be Israel because he wrestled with God and other humans and overcome.

At first glance we would think that means overpowering our enemies with force is good. But as we know through Jesus that is not true. Jesus taught is to turn the other cheek when we are opposed by someone. So then what wrestling with God are we talking about. The wrestling that happens sometimes during the night. The moments of doubt about decisions we are going to make. The dread when we know that we are doing something we shouldn’t. The quilt we have when we wrong someone. Those times we are wrestling those divine ideas and truths that are inside of us. Jacob was scared to return home but did it anyway. Jacob through wrestling his own doubts and continuing, had overcome his fear of trusting God.

You and I may doubt a lot of ideas and truths, but we press on despite not always understanding. We may doubt the outcomes of our choices, but we shouldn’t doubt the One who asks us to choose carefully.

For all my doubts, I have had a lot. One truth I have come to. Just like Jacob I have doubted the path God placed before me. But in the end God placed before me the best way for my life and His will. Did I go without doubts? No, I didn’t. But as we continue the Lord’s journey, hopefully they will be less as I go.

In the end we have these words of Jesus: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”