I have a dirty little secret, something I’m ashamed to admit. You see, I sometimes struggle with doubt. I’ve heard Christians admit to adultery, theft, violence and lying, but I rarely hear them admit to doubting. It is the thing-that-must-not-be-named, the unforgivable sin.

But doubt is a real part of the Christian life. Ignoring it is no good, because the more it is suppressed, the more potent it becomes. Doubt needs to be discussed openly and honestly, and so I thought I’d share a few observations I’ve made over the years.

First, if you have a critical mind, you will struggle with doubt on a regular basis - it’s in your nature to ask questions. The best thing to do is to frankly admit what is troubling you, and then look for answers. It’s pretty unlikely that you have come up with something that no-one has asked before - in fact, there are probably whole books written on just that subject. Swallow your pride, admit your doubt, and ask for some guidance.

It’s also important to understand the role our emotional state can play. Depressive people seem to struggle with doubt more frequently than those with an upbeat temperament. My greatest personal crisis of faith came when I was caught up in an utterly miserable conflict at church. Once I’d recovered emotionally from that situation, my doubts lost much of their vigour. If you are struggling with doubt, make sure you check out your emotional state.

Finally, it’s worth pointing out that human beings do not have a full and perfect knowledge about anything. This is true of science and the arts, and it’s also true of theology. Scripture simply doesn’t answer every question we might come up with; it does, however, tell us enough to know that God is there, that He has spoken and that He is good and trustworthy.

We might not welcome doubt, but it should not be feared - rather, it should be seen as an opportunity to explore our faith and ourselves.