Healthy Skepticism Isn’t a Bad Thing

Skepticism. There seems to be a lot of it these days. Have you ever felt skeptical about something, especially of late? I know I have. 

 

For a long time, we’ve been told to “trust the science.” However, science is never “settled.” Discoveries are made constantly that upset previously held conclusions. Also, it has become apparent ‘the science’ can be as much defined by ideology and agendas as it is by facts. Sometimes there’s reason to distrust the science.

We’re moving into the teeth of a crucial election season. Candidates will be preening and posturing, promising we can trust them – but not their opponents. However, we’ve learned that 20 campaign promises and $6 will get us a small latte at our favorite coffee shop. If experience has taught anything about politics, it’s that we have reason to be skeptical.

 

If we look closely at any of our revered institutions – the news media, entertainment, the business world, education, even religion – we’ll find more than enough examples to justify skepticism. And you’ve probably learned we can’t believe everything we find on the Internet or social media. 

 

Perhaps it has always been this way, but it’s evident that more than ever, we’d be wise not to believe everything we see and only half of what we hear. 

 

So where does that put us when we’re considering the teachings and hallowed truths many of us have embraced from the Bible? Christianity certainly has its share of skeptics – maybe more than its share. But over the years I’ve learned that healthy skepticism isn’t a bad thing.

 

One dictionary defines skepticism as “the method of suspended judgment, systemic doubt, or criticism.” I like the term, suspended judgment. We encounter lots of people holding the attitude of, ‘I’ve made up my mind. Don’t confuse me with the facts.’ But suspended judgment doesn’t seem as certain or as dogmatic. It’s more, ‘I don’t know yet. I need more information before reaching a conclusion.’

 

Would you be surprised to know the Bible presents numerous skeptics in both the Old and New Testaments? Even some of its central figures?

 

Take Moses, for example. After seeing the burning bush and encountering God, Moses was understandably skeptical when the Lord said, “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people the Israelites out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:10). Moses, who was tending his father-in-law Jethro’s sheep before spotting the flaming bush, uttered the Hebrew equivalent of “Say what?!”

 

In the next verse we read his response: “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” Even after God gave him detailed instructions, Moses was still shaking his head. “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you?’” (Exodus 4:1). This obviously hadn’t been on Moses’s to-do list for that day.

 

Finally, the Lord provided two signs to convince him, along with agreeing to let him bring Aaron, his brother, along to assist. Moses shrugged his shoulders and thought, ‘Okay, we’ll give this a shot.’ Can we call him a reluctant prophet?

 

Then we have Gideon, a fellow who was minding his own business threshing wheat when an angel suddenly appeared. The angel declared, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior” (Judges 6:12). I can imagine Gideon looking around and thinking, ‘Who? You talking to me?’ He replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” referring to the Israelites being attacked by the Midianites, Amalekites and some other ‘ites.

 

After some discussion about what God wanted him to do, Gideon remained the skeptic. He demanded proof in the form of two signs involving a wool fleece and the morning dew on the threshing floor (Judges 6:36-40). Only after God had performed the signs did Gideon surrender his skepticism and take on the mission the Lord had given to him.

 

We could cite many others including: Sarai (later renamed Sarah) who laughed when she heard that despite her advanced age, God was going to give her a son (Genesis 18:10-15). The Jewish priest Zechariah, when he was informed his wife Elizabeth, also “well along in years,” was going to have a son (Luke 1:11-20). Jesus’ disciples immediately following His resurrection, and especially Thomas, who demanded proof they weren’t dreaming or having hallucinations (John 20:24-29).

 

We could criticize each of these for not having enough faith to believe what they were told. But we find another brief account in the book of Acts confirming that healthy skepticism isn’t a bad thing. The apostle Paul had been speaking in the Greek city of Berea. It states, “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11).

 

Describing them as having “noble character” suggests they were teachable and willing to learn but diligent to determine if what Paul was saying aligned with the Old Testament prophecies. They listened as skeptics but were open to receiving the truth.

 

Scottish evangelist and scientist Henry Drummond once made this observation: “Christ never failed to distinguish between doubt and unbelief. Doubt is ‘can’t believe’; doubt is ‘won’t believe.’ Doubt is honesty; unbelief is obstinacy. Doubt is looking for light; unbelief is content with darkness.” 

 

So, if at times we find ourselves questioning what we believe or wondering about something in the Bible, that’s all right as long as, in Drummond’s words, we’re “looking for light,” rather than being “content with darkness.” As Jesus declared, “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

Discovering Strength in the Midst of Weakness

In our culture – most cultures, in fact – we practically worship strength. It’s been like that for as long as anyone can remember. Years ago, advertising gave us the image of the beefy beach bum flexing his biceps in front of swooning bathing beauties while a 100-pound weakling looked on in envy.

 

In sports, fans stare in awe at the massive offensive lineman in football who blasts openings in the opposing team’s defense for the running back, or his defensive counterpart who flings blockers aside as he races toward the quarterback. Baseball has hulking sluggers and their tape-measure homeruns, and in basketball we “ooh” and “aah” at towering athletes slam-dunking balls through the nets.

The movies depict strength in many ways. Superheroes, straight out of the comic books, muster their powers to engage in the perpetual battle of good vs. evil. Superman never imagined the feats of strength 21^st century superheroes perform. If you’re more into the animated types of heroes, you might remember characters like Popeye (with his spinach-infused biceps), the flying rodent Mighty Mouse (“Here I come to save the day!”), and even the villain-vanquishing Underdog, with his patented words of assurance, “There is no need to fear. Underdog is here!”

 

Our real-life, everyday world showcases strength in myriad ways. There’s military might, of course. And economic power. Political parties revel in flexing their executive and legislative muscles while they’re in power. The media seek to influence and even shape society through the power of the spoken and printed word. And in the work world, people in positions of leadership often leverage their strength to advance their agendas.

 

In the Bible, however, we find things much the opposite. As it says in 1 Corinthians 1:27, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” The reason is simple: The Lord desires to receive the glory and honor He deserves, so He works through us despite our weaknesses and inadequacies.

 

Think of shepherd boy David, long before he rose to become king of Israel, conquering the towering giant Goliath, all nine feet of him, without using a conventional weapon of war. Veteran Israelite warriors had cowered before Goliath, so God manifested His power through li’l ole David, armed only with a slingshot and stone. As David had declared to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (1 Samuel 17:45).

 

How about Gideon, whom God called to lead the Israelites against the powerful Midianites? When the angel of the Lord charged Gideon to lead Israel against the massive Midianite army, he argued, “… ‘how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.’ The Lord answered, ‘I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together’” (Judges 6:15-16). To ensure that the Israelites didn’t take the credit for victory, God even commanded Gideon to reduce his troops from 22,000 to a mere 300.

 

Strongman Samson had to lose his famous hair and eyesight before God would use him to exact vengeance against the scheming Philistines. In the moments before his death, Samson prayed, “O Sovereign Lord, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines…” (Judges 16:28). The Lord indeed strengthened Samson after he had been paraded into the pagan temple; pushing against the supporting pillars, we might say Samson ‘brought the house down.’

 

There are so many other biblical examples of God working through human weakness, but there’s perhaps none better than the apostle Paul, once a proud Pharisee who was humbled when he encountered Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. Truly converted and transformed, Paul spoke often of his total dependence on God. Lest he might forget, the Lord gave him a “thorn in the flesh.”

 

Speaking of the debilitating impact of that unidentified “thorn,” the apostle Paul stated, “But [the Lord] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

 

What does this have to do with us? Aren’t we often encouraged by friends to “be strong” in the face of adversity? The principle is simple: During times of crisis, while we may be tempted to rely on our material resources, our mental and physical capabilities, and the help of others, God wants us to realize that our trust should be in Him alone.

 

This is a lesson best learned before circumstances become desperate. The Lord wants us to depend on Him at all times, not wait until we’ve exhausted all other possible options. He desires for us to wake up every morning and go to bed each night with the same thought running through our minds: “The Lord is my strength and my song, and He had become my salvation,” as it says in Exodus 15:2 and Psalm 118:14, and expressed similarly in many other passages.

We’re admonished in Ephesians 6:10 at all times to “be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power." Contrary to what our culture tells us, being weak isn't a bad thing.

Laid Out Any Fleeces Lately?

Let’s face it: Decisions are hard. Well, some aren’t, like, ‘Should I get out of bed this morning?’ (Actually, given the state of things these days, maybe that’s not such an easy decision either.) But often factors involved in decision-making are complicated.

 

This is why some people use the pro vs. con approach, listing the positives of one option and weighing them against its negatives. It might be, ‘Should we move – or should we stay?’ Or, ‘Is it really a good idea to buy a car right now?’ ‘Which college should I attend?’

 

Another approach to making decisions, but not always reliable, is to look for a sign. I’m reminded of the guy who was considering leaving his present circumstances behind and starting off fresh somewhere else. He got into his car and determined to keep driving until he received a sign on what to do. Too bad he was so deep in thought that he missed the sign warning, “Bridge Out Ahead!”

 

This “looking for a sign” strategy is hardly new. In fact, we see a classic example in the sixth chapter of the Old Testament book of Judges. Gideon was a very ordinary fellow, threshing wheat in his father’s winepress. An angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Right away, Gideon suspected this day wasn’t going to be business as usual.

The angel proceeded to tell Gideon that God had chosen him to deliver the Israelites from the Midianites. His first reaction might have been, “Yeah, right!” He replied, “But Lord, how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manesseh, and I am the least in my family.”

 

Even with God’s assurance that, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together,” Gideon wasn’t convinced. He answered, “If now I have found favor in Your eyes, give me a sign that it is really You talking to me.” Gideon then boldly decided to choose the specific sign he wanted from the Lord.

 

He stated, “look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You said.” The passage tells us, “And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed and wrung out the dew – a bowlful of water” (Judges 6:37-38).

 

Years ago, a friend who raised sheep for a number of years told me an interesting fact about woolen fleece – it’s water-resistant, because it contains lanolin. So, the fact the fleece was saturated, while the ground surrounding it was dry, was truly a miracle.

 

Despite this “sign,” Gideon couldn’t let go of his skepticism. Maybe he was an ancestor of one of Jesus’ disciples, “doubting Thomas.” So, he cautiously decided to flip the sign on its head: “Then Gideon said to God, ‘Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew.’ That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew” (Judges 6:39-40).

 

Apparently, Gideon was thinking maybe the fleece was defective – never hurts to check, right? In the following chapter, we’re told God indeed used Gideon to defeat the Midianites, throwing in a couple more signs and miracles along the way for emphasis. The “rest of the story” could be the focus on another post, but clearly this simple guy was one who liked to follow signs.

 

What does this teach us? Are we to respond in similar fashion, insisting that God give us a sign if we sense Him leading us to step far outside our comfort zones?

 

Occasionally this might be appropriate, asking the Lord to confirm what He’s directing us to do. But most of the time He wants us to act in faith, stepping out when we believe He wants us to do so; at other times remaining where we are.

 

Circumstances like this remind me of Psalm 37:3-9, which says, “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” 

 

However, lest we act presumptuously and move ahead of Him, God includes this admonition: “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him…those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.”

 

What difficult decisions are you facing right now? Are you considering “laying out a fleece,” asking the Lord to provide a definitive sign? After all, Ecclesiastes 3:1 declares, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” But most of the time, a better plan is to pray fervently; spend time in the Scriptures, asking God to speak to you through them; and when available, seek godly counsel from trusted friends. 

 

Using as many resources as possible before making crucial decisions – not just waiting for a sign – is one certain way to avoid getting “fleeced.”