Have you ever felt guilty for crying when you lost a loved one, or felt you needed permission to grieve? Or felt intimidated about admitting, ‘I don’t know for certain,’ when someone asked you something about God? The story of doubting Thomas teaches us that not only is it okay to doubt, sometimes it’s necessary. If we don’t, we won’t grow. We’ll end up relying on someone else’s answers, and in many cases they won’t be good enough for the questions we want to ask. There are some well-meaning people who might try to make us think that any time we question God, we’re offending Him. But this is what Jesus would say to us: ‘Peace be with you. Look at my hands and feet. Look with eyes of faith and believe. You are blessed when you believe in spite of your doubts.’ Jesus didn’t turn away from Thomas, get angry with him, or ridicule him for doubting. He spoke gently to him and helped him work through those doubts. God will do the same for us when we have questions. It’s okay to pray, ‘Father, I still struggle with some doubts, just like Thomas did. Thank You for accepting me in my struggles, and not ignoring my questions. Thomas finally reached the place where he could say, “My Lord and my God.” Thank You for being patient with me as I strive to reach that place as well.’ So, how do we get through our doubts? Like Thomas did – by facing them honestly, acknowledging them, bringing them to Jesus, and growing spiritually as a result of them.

What Now?

Take a moment to pray the prayer in today’s reading. Thank God that He’s gentle and kind with us when we have doubts.