If you’re anything like me, you have doubts about your faith sometimes. There’s a common misconception about Christianity that our faith in God is supposed to be perfect. We’re not allowed to have any doubts, because questioning is a sign of weak faith. It’s a sign that you don’t trust God, or that you’re not a ‘good Christian’. Sometimes this belief comes from ourselves, and sometimes it comes from those around us, but the end result is always the same: we feel guilty when we have questions about our faith. We wonder “what’s wrong with me?” when we don’t have the same ‘unwavering faith’ as our friends and family. 

I’d like to propose a different mindset. 

What if, instead of making our relationship with God weak, questions made it stronger? What if our doubts were what solidified our faith? What if God was simply calling you to grow closer to Him through your questions?  

The truth of the matter is, almost every Christian who grows in relationship with God is going to experience doubts along their journey. Maybe those doubts come from something you read, or a snippet of overheard conversation, or simply personal reflection. Having those doubts, asking those questions, is not a sign of weak faith.

How you handle those questions, however, can determine how the rest of your walk with God will go. 

If you hide from your doubts, you may find yourself avoiding anything that can trigger those questions–secular friends and family, certain Bible verses, you name it. It’s also easy to give up on your faith life, even if you still go to church. Maybe you stop praying daily, or you don’t read your Bible. By avoiding triggers, from friends to prayer life, you may stop the doubts, but you also lose a part of your relationship with God. It is much harder to grow if, at the same time, you’re burying your head under the ground. 

Doubts give you a chance to explore your faith, and your own heart. Don’t be afraid of them–face them head on, with God at your side. Dive deep into the questions. Read your Bible; research the early church. Look at both sides of the problem and keep going until you find the truth. God is Eternal Truth–He is at the core of every good thing. Exploring your doubts allows you to grow your faith by finding it confirmed.

I have asked, and have been asked, questions about my faith as a Catholic. And I’ve found that, by diving deeper into Scripture and Church teachings, my faith is confirmed and made stronger. So consider this your permission to question, doubt, and wonder. But do not take this as permission to give up or hide. Ask, search, and you’ll discover how much stronger your faith can become if you allow it to grow because of your doubts, instead of ‘in spite of them’.