By Kelly Carr

Change is hard. Even when change is for our own good, the transition may cause us some doubt.

When a company makes changes, we may doubt the wisdom of those making the decisions, wondering if they have our best interests at heart as employees. When a church makes changes, we may doubt how well the new ideas will coincide with our current traditions. When relationships change, we may doubt a person’s love, sincerity, and faithfulness. When tragedy brings change, we may doubt the provision or even the goodness of God.

For all the discomfort that comes when doubt plagues us, there is a heartening truth: we’re not alone. Likely most of us have experienced some shade of doubt along our faith journey. Doubt can be scary, but it can cause us to dig deeper. Doubt is a piece of the puzzle that we may not fully appreciate until later when we step back and view the big picture. Doubt does not decry our inabilities but shows us our humanity. Doubt does not mean that we don’t have faith—it means we have experienced a change and we have questions.

It’s also reassuring that God can handle our questions. We aren’t the first to ask, and we won’t be the last. We can trust him with our doubt. He already knows. And he can bear it with us.