How to Have Your Faith Tested and Still Be Okay

I’ll never forget my first experience on a recreational climbing wall. Before I began my ascent, I had to put on a harness that was attached to a rope. Since I chose to climb the easiest route, getting to the top was easy. The problem happened when I was told to push away from the wall and let the rope drop me down. I hadn’t tested the tension of the rope; I wasn’t confident that it would hold me.  It seemed like my hands revolted, they simply would not let go of the wall. The situation became quite hilarious for the people below. This big guy is holding onto a wall and won’t let go!

My Faith Was Tested

But my grip started waning, my forearms started burning, and my feet began shaking from fatigue.

Go ahead; test the rope. It will hold you.

Eventually, I lost my grip, and the pulley system slowly lowered me back to earth. . . like sloth slow. Talk about embarrassing!

The moral of the story is this: The strength of a rope is of no consequence until you are in a life and death situation, and you have to trust your life to it.

Sometimes our faith is like that rope; it hasn’t been tested yet. We’ve harnessed ourselves to it, but it’s never been a matter of life and death. People who never really press into what they truly believe are vulnerable when painful seasons come into their lives.

Jesus didn’t criticize Thomas; He invited him to come investigate his doubts further. Share on X

It is necessary that our faith is tested. Untested faith will not be trusted. Yes, it’s okay to have doubts. In fact, faith without some doubts is like the human body without an immune system. We should acknowledge and then process our doubts, not avoid them.

Engage Your Brain

The apostle Paul made this statement in I Corinthians 10:15: “I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say.” In other words, go ahead, engage your brain, and see for yourself if what I am saying is true.

Don’t quit on your faith because you have doubts. A man walked with Jesus for three and a half years and was famously skeptical. His name was Thomas. Jesus didn’t criticize Thomas; He invited him to come investigate his doubts further. God and His Word can handle the test of careful examination.

Go ahead; test the rope. It will hold you.

Aaron Soto is the senior pastor of Apostolic Truth Church in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Resources and Links

When your faith is tested, a devotional like Simplify will offer guidance.