May sound really weird
For a Christian to embrace
Doubting; How can I?
What does doubting mean?
I believed it’s unbelief.
But, let’s think again.
Matthew 28:17
“When they saw him,
they worshiped him;
but some doubted.”
Who is “they” who saw?
It was Jesus’ disciples.
What does “doubted” mean?
In my devotional time this morning, Daily Guideposts explained that the original text was in Greek. The word “doubted” in Greek is “distazo.” That does not mean unbelief. It is more accurately translated as “hesitation or uncertainty about how to respond.”
In today’s world, as the cartoon shows, the disciples would not have to think twice about how to respond. They would simply get out their cell phones and record this momentous reappearance of their Savior!!
But in the world of Jesus’ time, how would you respond when someone you watched die on the cross suddenly walked out of the tomb? “Distazo” seems appropriate to me. Whoa!! I’d be pretty unsure about how to respond, wouldn’t you?
Sometimes I am quite unsure about how to respond to situations in today’s world. How about you?
Our test kits came today for the COVID-19 test we have to self-administer and then mail FedEx in the envelope provided so it can go overnight to the place where the results are determined and then sent to me before our flight out of Chicago to London on Sunday night. (Whoa… that’s a long, complex sentence – did you grasp it?)
I am doubting … I am unsure about how to respond to the instructions.
Unfortunately, my test results won’t come in a fortune cookie. They will be sent to an app on my iPhone. Problem: my iPhone is 8 years old and it won’t upgrade to an IOS high enough to download the app. I am feeling doubtful. Very uncertain about how to respond. The new iPhone 12 and last year’s version (iPhone11) are not available here in Ennis. Checking with our nearest city, Bozeman, I discovered we don’t have an Apple store… and the Verizon Wireless store doesn’t have the phone I want in stock. I have to order it on-line from Apple. Will it arrive in time for our departure? What will I do if it isn’t here in time?
In this COVID-19 world, “distazo” is a natural response. We are unsure of how to respond in so many ways. Get the vaccine or not? Wear a mask or not? Get a booster or not? Join friends for a dinner out or not? Worship in church with others sitting close by or not? Travel or not? Get a new phone or not? Forget the whole thing?
I pray to God for help with decision-making, but I am not sure I am hearing His response. Should I keep asking? Should I reword my questions? Am I missing His answers?
As Daily Guideposts has written in today’s devotional, “Doubt, distazo, is part of our faith journey.” It’s OK to question how to respond when we’re baffled by the challenges we face. Like the disciples, we are faced with some unbelievable situations. These are unprecedented times!
we are encouraged to Stretch!!
Embrace Doubting!
Let your hesitation
and your uncertainty
cause you to
question more,
research more,
and pray more.
Let your hesitancy
and your uncertainty
cause you to
trust more,
experience more,
and increase your humility
as you allow yourself
to admit
“Crap!
I don’t have all the answers after all!”
Tiger in you!
Do you find yourself doubting about anything?
What causes you to experience “distazo“?
See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Love,
JanBeek
Comments on: "Embrace Doubting" (11)
There is a quiet still voice inside (the Holy Spirit?) that tells me not to take the vaccine. That is an individual discernment and not a recommendation for anyone else. I know my body and its sensitivities. With all those questions, I believe you will feel the pull toward the right answer for you.
I am feeling that pull today as I read the instructions in this COVID test kit. I am also feeling the pull to get a rapid response backup test to have as a back-up in case this one that has to go UPS (not FedEx) doesn’t get to the proper place in time for our departure. Better safe than sorry, huh?
Exactly right!
Doubt is evidence of thought. Good luck with that process. All I had to do was LFT test to visit my mother, and that did my head in.
Well, {{{Derrick}}}, THOUGHT certainly is in process. My head is spinning!
I so appreciate this message and your sharing your own doubting. Thank you for affirming that doubt, distazo, is part of the process and, perhaps, a positive in the long run as it nurtures our reliance on faith. Love you, Jan!!
I really appreciate looking at doubt as a nurturing process. That’s encouraging, isn’t it? I certainly am relying on faith to get this COVID testing done and to get the proper equipment necessary to get the results on time… faith and back-up plans! Thanks for your encouragement, {{{Dana}}}. I love YOU, my friend! Safe travels <3
I really like the way you explained this. I believe you are right on target. Doubt is a natural reaction to an unnatural situation. We never have all the answers and never will in this life.
I hope all of your test come back negative and your travel plans run smoothly. Take care and be safe!
Dwight
Thank you so much for those good wishes!
You are welcome!
Jan, this post brings comfort and peace when we feel the shadows of doubt encroaching. There is strength in the ability to hesitate and pause. A moment taken to catch our breath offers an opportunity to succeed with our next step. Sending you more of Job’s patience, courtesy of our Lord.