7 WORDS OF WISDOM WHEN YOU'RE QUESTIONING YOUR FAITH

1. What happens when a young Christian dealing with disillusionment and doubt spends a weekend with an elderly, retired pastor? They talk. And no subject is off limits. The young man is questioning his faith – wrestling with questions. As a result, Clear Winter Nights: A Journey into Truth, Doubt, and What Comes After is not only a novel, but an exploration of faith, forgiveness, and the distinctiveness of Christianity. What kind of advice does Grandpa Gil offer to the grandson he loves?

2. Go back to the Word.Grandpa Gil put his hand on the worn black Bible sitting on top of the coffee table next to his recliner. "I don't understand why anyone cares what old Gil has to say. All I do is point people to what's in here. That's a lot more reliable than offering my measly old opinion."

3. Give in to Grace. "If you think the whole point of Christianity is moral reformation," says the grandpa, "you'll find out quickly how powerless you are to make that reformation happen. It’s about giving in. Giving in to God. Handing your heart and life over to Him and casting yourself on His mercy alone... Grace comes first."

4. Seek the Truth. "I want to be open-minded," said the grandson. Grandpa Gil responds: "As long as you realize the point of having an open mind. An open mind is like an open mouth. It's meant to close on something. We ought to make sure it's on something good."

5. Ask the right questions."What if Christianity is bigger than ethics?" asks the grandpa. "What if it's not about good people getting better but about dead people coming to life? What if it's not about man seeking God but God seeking man? What if it's not about how people view God but how God views us? What if Christianity isn't about you and me and everyone else in the first place? Those are the questions I hope you ask. They're worth wrestling with."

6. Don't be afraid to be different from the world.Another quote was written in a different color of ink, sideways on the margin, as if Gil had thought of it later but wanted to include it in his notes: "You may feel alive when you go with the flow, but any old dead thing can float downstream." He also saw 2 Corinthians 4:6 referenced in parentheses and then this: "The world says, 'Be true to yourself.' King Jesus says, 'Be true to your future self.'"


7. Admit your weakness and look to Jesus. "Listen here," Gil said. "There are only two ways to resolve the pressure you're feeling about being a hypocrite. You can do away with the ideal. Stop fighting your sin and abandon your faith. Or you can admit your failures. Some people want to resolve hypocrisy by lowering the ideal. But instead, we ought to take the hand of Christ and move higher.