They didn’t like the Baptist because he was an ascetic and they didn’t like Jesus because He partied with some pretty unsavory characters. God’s purposes, plans and people didn’t suit their style, their tastes or their personal interest so they remained uncommitted and then, over time, drifted away from Him and His grace.

In his autobiography, Charles Darwin said, “I gradually came to disbelieve in Christianity as a divine revelation. . . . Disbelief crept over me at a very slow rate, but was at last complete. The rate was so slow that I felt no distress and have never doubted even for a single second that my conclusion was correct.” But we need to remember that God’s designs often times don’t suit our personal desires. He’s got His own agenda that is focused on the salvation of the world by means of the cross, and we need to keep that in front of us as much as we can!

As Rick Warren rightly says on page one of The Purpose Driven Life: “It’s not about you. The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by His purpose and for His purpose.”

The issue isn’t doubt; it’s dedication. Jesus calls us to make a commitment and then stick with it. As He argues in the last line of this narrative, “But wisdom is proved right by her actions.” He means that God’s plan will in the end prove to be the way of our salvation as well as our own happiness. Jesus would suffer death on the cross but God would raise Him from the dead and over time His kingdom would be established forever in the lives of millions of dedicated disciples. In the end, God’s wisdom always proves to be right because He knows exactly what He’s doing. We can cling to that even in times of trouble.

Last week we hired a man named Jay to move our church’s shed from the old campus to this one. When Jay started he got the shed about half-way up on his truck and then ran from one side to the other across the bed; as he did it was wobbling back and forth. And I was thinking, “It’s going to fall and be destroyed!” Suddenly I was having lots of doubts, thinking that we made a mistake to hire Jay.

Later, as we were driving I heard a BOOM from his truck and I was having more doubts about hiring Jay. But we stopped and took a look and he said, “Oh, the strap just got stuck and popped off; that’s no problem at all.” And when we finally got here he unloaded the shed, turned it 90 degrees, put it back up on the truck, and then moved it to the proper place. It seemed like it took him forever. He was charging us by the hour and I was thinking, “This was a huge mistake because it’s going to cost us $1000.” So I started praying: “Lord, just help him get it in its spot sometime before midnight.” You know what? After thirty minutes he got the shed in place, charged a fair amount, and even though it was really stressful I ended up pretty happy because Jay knew exactly what he was doing.

This morning some of you here may be thinking, “Lord, from my perspective it looks like I’m on the bed of the truck and you’re jumping up and down and I’m going to fall off. And I’m wondering, ‘Lord, did I make a mistake signing on with you?’” Friend, if you’re there, I want you to know that dedicating yourself to Jesus was the best decision you ever made.

Others may be feeling, ‘Lord, I’ve been dedicated but today I’m in a tough and tangled place and I have a lot of doubts.’ I want you to know that it’s OK to feel that way; you can go to Him with those doubts and by His grace you’ll work your way through them over time.

This morning may be a time when some here need to stop and say, “Lord, I’ve been double-minded. I haven’t been dedicated. I’ve been messing around with my faith but today I’m going to a draw a line in the sand and get committed to You and your purposes, regardless of the cost.”

Let’s remember that Jesus is not bothered by our doubts; those are part and parcel of a life of faith. What Jesus wants in the middle of all those doubts is our dedication to Him and His design.

________________

Scott Wenig is Associate Professor of Applied Theology at Denver Seminary.