A familiar character in the New Testament is Thomas. One of the Twelve Disciples, Thomas is maybe better known for his doubt.
“One of the disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he replied, ‘I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side,’” (John 20:24-25 NLT).
Chuck Swindoll talks about Thomas' character in his message Getting Through the Tough Stuff of Doubt. He describes Thomas as a reflective person—someone who searches vehemently for truth and answers. The book of John records many tough questions Thomas asked Jesus. His personality was that of a pessimist, but he was not a skeptic. He honestly wrestled with doubt in his search for truth.
When you put yourself in Thomas' place, it's not hard to understand why he hesitated to rejoice when the other disciples told him of their time with Jesus. For one thing, Thomas hadn’t been there. As far as he knew, Jesus was dead and buried and Thomas had spent days grieving. Looking at the context, it's entirely reasonable that it would be a leap for Thomas to instantly believe things had changed without seeing proof.
It was eight days before Jesus appeared to Thomas. Eight days is a long time to struggle with anything, but overwhelming doubt is especially difficult to deal with. When Jesus did appear before Thomas, he was not condemned for his doubt. Instead, Jesus said, “Peace be with you” (John 20:26).
In Jeremy Postal's article, I'm Sure about Uncertainty, he puts it this way: “Scripture shows that when Thomas doubted, Jesus showed up! Jesus, instead of rejecting Thomas and banishing him from the disciples, actually honours his uncertainty by confronting him with the reality of who He was and is.” Doubt is not sinful; it does not reflect a lack of faith or unbelief. What it shows is courage—by admitting your limitations and fears, and by daring to fail, doubt, and struggle, you are giving Jesus the opportunity to show up!
In his message, Chuck Swindoll says, “Is it OK to doubt? It’s OK. It's necessary. Or you won’t grow, you’ll just learn someone else’s answers.”
Thomas' story is one of encouragement—he doubted, but it never overtook him. Thomas allowed Jesus to take him from the place of uncertainty to a place of belief. Remember, silent doubts rarely find answers. Give voice to your questions and see what happens. You may struggle for a while, but Jesus will show up.
By Robyn Roste
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