You can find the audio for this podcast episode on Spotify
Your Doubts Are Important
Your doubts are important.
We were part of a world where doubts were unwelcome. Our teachers, our pastors, even our own parents were used to being in positions of authority over us. They were used to us accepting whatever they told us without question. They needed us to continue to take their word for it because that’s the role they had always taken in our lives. Doubts are a threat to all of that. Because once doubt settles in, all their authority is called into question. That dynamic feels very uncomfortable and even scary to them.
So they push back. They accuse us of lacking faith, as if that were a choice on our parts. As if a lack of faith were a character flaw.
They try to threaten us by telling us that our salvation is at risk if we don’t toss our doubts away, as if we could control when doubts come to us.
What they don’t understand is that our doubts are our own critical thinking skills kicking in. Our doubts were showing us that there are questions worth asking.
Our doubts were protecting us from toxic behaviour. They came along, they tapped us on the shoulder and whispered in our ears that we deserved better than leaders who just wanted submissive congregants.
We deserved better than churches that told us we were limited to arbitrary roles based on our genders and that we deserved the flames of Hell.
Our doubts made us shed the lies from our faith so that we could go deeper.
Our doubts made us long for better teaching and better leaders.
Our doubts could very well be the voice of God Himself telling us that it is time to move on.
Our doubts are the evidence of our growth both in our faith and in the kind of people we are becoming.
Don’t dismiss your doubts. They came to you for a reason. Get curious about what that reason is.
Meditation Intro
Each episode will contain a moment of meditation. For some people this is helpful to center their minds and ground their bodies and to internalize messages. For others, meditation can be a challenge or even triggering. Wherever you find yourself, please remember to listen to your body.
Here we go.
Meditation
Take a moment to settle your body and find a comfortable position to sit in or lie down in.
Close your eyes.
Take a moment to focus on your breath.
As you breathe in and out, repeat these words to yourself in your mind:
Breathe in: My doubt is holy
Breathe out: My doubt is good
Breathe in: My doubt is holy
Breathe out: My doubt is good
Continue to breathe this way for a few more moments.
When you are ready, open your eyes and come back to the room.
Musical Affirmation intro
To close out each episode, I want to play a song for you all that I feel encapsulates the message of the episode. If you are a spotify member, you should hear the full song. If you aren’t yet a member, you’ll only hear a 30 second clip, but I would encourage you to go find this song wherever you get your music.
For today’s musical affirmation, I want to play a song called Hurricane by MisterWives. When I was searching for a song to go along with today’s message, I stumbled across this one. I hadn’t actually heard it before a few weeks ago, but the themes struck me as powerful. The phrase, “Can’t change the storm of a hurricane” reminded me of the strength that exists in each of us when we remember our own agency. We don’t have to play by the rules of others. If their belief system no longer fits where we are going, we are free to shake it off and, as the song so eloquently states:
“We’ll dance to our own beat, won’t sing to your melody
We will not care if we’re the only ones swimming in the sea”
We don’t have to follow the crowd anymore. We’re free to go our own way. It doesn’t matter if others follow us off the well worn path, we are doing what is right for our souls and our well being
I hope you enjoy today’s musical affirmation.
Conclusion
Thank you so much for being here today. Take care of yourself in the coming days, and I’ll see you back here again next week.
Shari A Smith 