We generally enjoy being in situations in which we feel confident and avoid those that fill us with doubt. But these areas of confidence might simply reveal our comfort zone, while doubt our edge of growth.
Of course, it’s only natural to gravitate toward and want to stay wherever we have certainty, clarity, and comfort. And much of life is securing this for ourselves and others. We cannot thrive in a constant state of chaos. We need something stable to hold on to and anchor ourselves throughout life.
But we become stagnant when such security becomes an idol. A life of faith requires us to grow, and growth is often along the path of doubt.
Doubt is the result of simply stepping into the unknown. We’re leaving behind what was certain and entering a situation in which we don’t readily know the outcome, though we know nothing will be the same again. And, to be sure, fear is present because we recognize our very security is being threatened.
But, in big and small ways, leaning into this doubt is how we learn and grow.
For instance, there are moments of doubt even as we’re exposed to new thoughts and ideas. How we knew the world is now being challenged and we’ve not yet figured out how to integrate the new.
A new job, relationship, opportunity, or the like can also spark these moments of doubt. But we’re prone to retreat to our comfort zone when we misinterpret it. We let fear get the best of us and assume we must be blowing it because we don’t have the certainty we desire. But doubt is simply taking us to our edge and inviting us to grow – trusting God and his goodness even as we enter the unknown.
In the end, don’t fear doubt, as this is often a clue you’re on the edge of growth.
Photo by Marko Bugarski on Unsplash
