To “counsel the doubtful”
is to give a questioning person wise advice.
We find this work of mercy throughout the New Testament, particularly in
This corresponds to the
basic definition of “counsel,” which usually means “giving instruction or
advice to direct the judgment of another.” To “counsel” in the spiritual realm
then refers to helping someone discern what is truth or what to do in a
particular area.
However, what makes this
an even trickier situation is that the person receiving counsel is “doubtful.”
This means that the person is uncertain about the truth and needs to be
convinced that it is true before accepting it for their life.
In the Epistle of Jude we
are instructed to “Correct those who are
confused; the others you must rescue, snatching them from the fire.” Jude
22.
As in all ministries, we
are given spiritual gifts, through the working of the Holy Spirit within us, to
minister to others. We do not need a degree in theology or catechetics to
counsel the doubtful. We all know that some of the most convincing people of
faith have been the simplest individuals we’ve known. They just love God and
their neighbor and try to live according to God’s commandments. We have all
been given the gifts of wisdom, understanding and counsel at Confirmation.
Therefore, we are all equipped to a certain degree to counsel the doubtful.
Counseling the doubtful
means not turning away from people’s questions, misgivings or fears. It means
being a solid rock in the midst of the storms of others’ intellects, wills, and
emotions that cause them to be “blown and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6).
A caution here—when
counseling anyone we need to be sure that the counsel we give is not just our
opinion. As with all truth, what we think we know cannot contradict Scripture
or the truth as revealed by the Catholic Church. If we’re not sure what
Scripture or the Church teaches on a particular matter, we need to do some
research before sharing what we think is true with another. If someone asks us
a question and we’re not quite sure what the correct answer is, we need to be
humble enough to admit that and tell the person we will research the topic and
get back to them. Two excellent sources are the Catholic Catechism and Catholic
Answers “20 Questions” series of booklets (available at shop.Catholic.com).
To counsel the doubtful
requires a tremendous amount of patience. If people are doubtful by nature,
they may relapse, over and over—much to their own frustration and that of
anyone trying to guide them. Constant wavering can be a real cross in talking
with others.
Some people are “doubting
Thomases”. They will not believe anything they have not personally experienced.
The most we can do for them is to present the evidence for the particular truth
they are having trouble accepting, direct them to further resources, and then
leave it to the Holy Spirit to convince them. I have found that many people
will argue vehemently against a particular doctrine only to come to accept it
sometime in the future. There are just some people who have a very rebellious
spirit and take a long time to accept a particular truth.
Counseling the doubtful
can also mean, perhaps, enduring slings and arrows against us, God and the
Church by those doubters who are wounded and lashing out. Instead of taking
offense it’s better to be kind. Rebuffing them is pushing them further away
from eventually accepting the truth. Sometimes we also may think we need to
“defend” God from those who are doubtful, but God doesn’t need us to defend
Him. Our job is to try to reflect God’s love and forbearance towards them.
Counseling the doubtful is
a Spiritual Work of Mercy we can all do when given the opportunity. Let us pray
to be open to those opportunities.
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