Doubting Oneself

Sunday, February 05, 2012 Posted by Joline

I'm an online fitness Coach with a very well known company that develops in-home workout programs. This means that I am emailing, texting, facebooking, and even, GASP, talking with people everyday about getting healthy and fit. On many occasions, my conversations usually go something like this:

Them: I really need to lose weight.

Me: Why?

Them: There is ____________ (insert medical illness) in my family and I really don't want that for myself. And I want to be a good example for my kids.

Me: Well, all I really know is that ____________ (insert in-home fitness program) worked for me.

Them: Oh, I can't work out at home.

Me: So, do you have a gym membership or somewhere you can workout that is not at home?

Them: No.

Me: So, what can I do for you?

Them: Do you have any other suggestions?

Me: Not really. You have a strong reason as to why you want to make this change, but it seems as if you doubt you can do it. I think you just need to start something and allow your body to respond naturally. It will like it. You can't see that now. You can't feel that now. That doesn't mean it isn't true.

Segue to Thomas. You knew it was coming. Don't we all want proof? Data? Evidence to point us to the right decision? God's will? Thomas, my friends, was darn blessed to be able to stick his fingers in the nail punctures on Jesus' hands. And to place his hands in Jesus' speared side. When I think of what he might have been thinking, "Oh, yeah, you Jesus-poser, I'll show YOU and everyone else that you are a big fake", I am brought to my knees.

So was he. How embarrassed and ashamed he felt.

However, I'm impressed with him. Because he wanted to believe so badly, that he placed himself in a terribly uncomfortable position of touching an open wound. Of a "dead" guy. Really. That's gross. But he didn't care. He wanted Jesus to be REAL.

We KNOW THIS STORY. And we live it everyday. Perhaps we no longer struggle with the doubt of whether Jesus is present. We do, however, doubt whether He's present in our "stuff".

"I can't possibly _____________."
"What? Me, _____________? That's for other people."
"No, I don't think I could ever ______________."

If only we'd take a tip from "Doubting Thomas" and actually take a step and thrust our fingers and our hands into that "wound" we KNOW to be false . . .

I dig Thomas.

He may have doubted. But in his doubt, he took an action, realized his mistake, felt remorse, and BELIEVED.