I'm reading a book mentioned by Derek called "Faith and Doubt" by John Ortberg. I'm really enjoying it so far. Here is an excerpt from the first chapter (Faith, Doubt, and Being Born):

And it struck me, in that year, how deeply both faith and doubt are part of my life. We often think of them as opposites. Many books argue for one or the other. But while in some respects they are enemies, in other ways they are surprisingly alike: both are concerned with ultimate issues; both pop up unasked for at unexpected moments; both are necessary.

I must have truth. Therefore I doubt. If I did not doubt, I'd be just another one of those suckers P.T. Barnum was so grateful get born once a minute; I'd fall for every carnival sideshow delusion that comes along. And I scorn delusion.

I must have hope. Therefore I believe. If I did not believe, I would cave in to despair. And I dread despair.

... We believe and we doubt. Believing and doubt share the same inevitability, but they are not equal. They cannot lay the same claim on our allegiance. They do not share the same power. If there are places beyond the cul-de-sac, doubt cannot take us there.


In chapter 4 (What Kind of Belief Really Matters?) he goes on to make a distinction between public, private, and core convictions. Public convictions are those we want other people to think we believe, though we often neither believe nor live by them. Private convictions are those that we really think we believe, but we often don't stand by them when push comes to shove. Core convictions are the ones we honestly live by, the ones demonstrated through actions. When Christ calls us to live as he lived, he's appealing to our core convictions, the ones that will transform our actions and lifestyles: "Faith is coming to believe with my whole body what I say I believe with my mind. Another word for this is paradise."

Anyways, it's an excellent book and really means a lot to where I am right now in life. Pretty easy to get through too. Definitely worth a read.