Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples, and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”
Matthew 11:2-3 (ESV)
Was John the Baptist losing faith here? Was he wondering if he made a mistake when he proclaimed Jesus as the Lamb of God? Did he too think the Messiah would save them from the Romans, when in fact He would save from them from sin and Satan? Was he beginning to doubt?
If so, then I think we should be encouraged. I mean, this was John the Baptist: fiery preacher, guy who didn’t care what others thought, man of God, etc. And if he doubted… then it’s okay if we do.
I’m not saying God wants us to doubt, but if we do, it’s okay–He still loves us. He’s there, and He’ll help us through it.
And I’m not saying we should give in to doubt just because “God will still love me, so it’s okay.”
What I am saying is that when we do have doubts and start to lose faith, we shouldn’t beat ourselves up about it and think we can no longer have a relationship with God. That is not the case! He’ll always love us, always want us. We just have to ask for His forgiveness and help.
We might not have very much faith, but as long as we cling to that one seed, that one thread of hope, it’ll be okay.
