Is there room for skepticism?

Doing a little reflection on this weekend's message...

The big idea of how true faith leaves room for questions and doubt has me thinking. One aspect that certainly plays into this is personality. Some of us are more prone to skepticism than others. Even very analytical thinkers can drive down the road of doubt often. I'm wondering how much personality plays into this. I believe for faith to develop there has to be some amount of restlessness and wrestling with issues of trust. They are not all intellectual questions but many times just matters of control.

I lean by nature to be more of a skeptic. I have friends who don't ever question and some who question everything. I am probably more in the middle. I so appreciate the child-like trust of my friends who just believe. And I appreciate the honesty and curiosity of my friends who question. Both approaches shape me.

There has to be room for both in faith. Skepticism definitely can play a part. It pushes us to search for more...more than we are experiencing...more faith...more trust...more honesty...more and better answers. I am thankful that a few who lean this way expressed that the message was helpful. Many times those who approach life from this angle suffer because they feel like they are a failure at faith. Far from it...I believe it is from God.

Child-like trust reminds us that faith is ultimately a decision to trust when we don't see clearly...to step out and trust that your father in heaven does want what's best. I admit I wanted to poke a little at those who fall into this camp. We can grow too comfortable with our faith and become too plastic in the way we approach the hard questions of faith.

There's room for both approaches in our faith. And there's room for both kinds of people...and everyone in between, in the Church.

Btw a great book for skeptics is Philip Yancey's Reaching for the Invisible God.