Faith That Dares To Question

If you have wondered why so many Christian traditions cling to biblical interpretations that narrow the scope of God's grace, exclude women from leadership, and deny the inclusion of LGBTQ+ folk in the church, it comes down to a simple argument: Certainty. 

Certainty in beliefs, certainty in biblical interpretation, and certainty that they are right about all of it.  There can be no grey areas in the belief system of many Christians, because they fear that if there is one, there will be more, and more, and then their whole system falls apart. 

I know this because I used to have these kinds of beliefs.  

Many of us were taught, implicitly or explicitly, that strong faith means having all the answers. We learned to equate belief with certainty, confidence with correctness, and questioning with weakness. Over time, this can quietly shape a brittle spirituality—one that fears curiosity and avoids mystery. Yet Scripture and lived experience tell a different story: faith that grows is often faith that wrestles.

Rachel Held Evans names this truth with gentle clarity:

“Acknowledging uncertainty doesn't make a person less faithful; it just makes her more honest. Admitting how much we don't know doesn't make a person less faithful; it just makes him more candid - and perhaps more curious. Anne Lamott has chronicled the meanderings of the heart as well as anyone, and as she famously puts it, ‘The opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty.’”

Certainty can feel safe. It gives us clean lines and clear categories. But when certainty hardens into rigidity, it can close us off from the living, surprising God who refuses to fit neatly into our boxes. Doubt, on the other hand, can become a doorway—a sacred invitation to go deeper.

Throughout Scripture, some of the most faithful people are also the most questioning. Abraham asks God, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Genesis 18:25). The psalmists cry out, “How long, O Lord?” (Psalm 13:1). Job demands answers in the midst of his suffering. Even Mary responds to the angel’s announcement with an honest question: “How can this be?” (Luke 1:34). These are not voices of unbelief; they are voices of relationship.

Jesus himself honors this kind of faith. When Thomas says he needs to see and touch the wounds, Jesus does not shame him. Instead, Jesus meets him in his doubt and invites him closer (John 20:24–29). Faith is not presented as the absence of questions, but as the courage to bring our questions into God’s presence.

When we cling too tightly to certainty, we risk confusing our interpretations with God’s truth. We stop listening. We stop learning. We stop being transformed. But when we embrace uncertainty, we make room for wonder. We allow our faith to breathe, stretch, and mature.

Uncertainty does not mean we have no anchor. Our anchor is not perfect understanding; our anchor is God’s steadfast love. It is trusting that even when we don’t know, we are still known. Even when we don’t see clearly, God is still at work.

So if you find yourself questioning, wondering, or doubting, take heart. You are not failing at faith. You are practicing it. Let your uncertainty become a holy curiosity that draws you closer to God, deeper into love, and further along the lifelong path of becoming.

Prayer
Gracious God, give us courage to be honest about what we don’t know. Free us from the need to have everything figured out. Meet us in our questions, and use them to deepen our trust in you. Teach us to see doubt not as the enemy of faith, but as a companion on the journey. Amen.

Reflection Questions

1. Where have you felt pressure to appear certain in your faith?

2. What questions about God or life have you been holding quietly?

3. How might embracing curiosity open new space for growth in your spiritual life?Fai