Belief, Grief, and Growth

Thomas Cole, "The Voyage of Life"

I am growing to understand more and more that the Christian life is often lived, experienced in a sacred “in‑between” space—where faith and doubt, loss and hope, meet in a kind of spiritual tension. Barnabas Piper’s book “Help My Unbelief” reminds us that doubt isn’t a lack of faith but an essential part of it that often points us back to the unchanging character of God rather than the easy answers or trite platitudes. Similarly, in Jerry Sittser’s book “A Grace Disguised", the author describes being “suspended between a cherished past and a terrifying, uncertain future,” and suggests that the tension between these realities can enlarge our souls to hold sorrow and joy side by side.

As I read these books, I saw that Piper and Sittser seemed to be speaking the same language, a paradox.  Is it possible that our deepest growth occurs when we’re “pulled in two directions at once,” while trusting in the One who holds all things together ? In both cases, the “in‑between” is not something to be fixed but the ground in which genuine transformation, spiritual growth takes root.

I don’t propose to have this all figured out—I’m still learning to rest and trust in the One who holds all things together. So if you’ve ever felt pulled in two directions at once, know this: you’re not alone, and you’re not failing.  I find that the insights from these writers offers both comfort and challenge.  

Reading their books side by side offers the following picture of how to live in this tension;

We learn first to name the tension—to give voice to questions and to grief without shame, acknowledging that uncertainty and loss are not signs of spiritual failure but invitations into deeper trust. Second, we’re called to stay present in the barren valleys of doubt or mourning: worshiping in our questions, practicing gratitude in our tears, and recognizing that God’s grace abides with us right now. Finally, we lean into community, offering one another the compassion and care that mirror Christ’s own embrace of our brokenness.

Living in this tension, the “in-between”, means acknowledging that our own strength is insufficient—and embracing that God’s strength is more than enough. When doubt tugs at our hearts or grief wrestles for our attention, we do not need to pretend to have it all figured out. Instead, we can hold fast to the promise that He who holds all things together is also holding us, even in our most subtle or unseen moments. In that tension, we do not find defeat, but the ground where our faith deepens, hope rises, and love takes root. 

·  Piper, B. (2020). Help My Unbelief: Why Doubt Is Not the Enemy of Faith. The Good Book Company.

·  Sittser, J. L. (2004). A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows through Loss. Zondervan.