Mother Theresa's Doubts

By now you have heard that the Catholic church has published letters or writings by Mother Theresa expressing her doubts over the years. I have three thoughts on this.

1. It seems to me that her wishes to have these things destroyed should have been followed. Sometimes we say or write things that express our feelings when situations are unresolved. Read the Psalms. Imagine that we cut off the last couple of verses. In many of the Psalms David is venting his frustrations. God eventually brings him to resolution. Did God resolve these feelings for Mother Theresa?

2. The Catholic system, being a performance system, sets people up for doubt. The hope, even expectation, is that faithful service will be noticed and blessed by God. When that service is not touched by Him in some concrete way, one is left to wonder why. Under grace, we know that the service itself is the expression (communication) of the Lord. When my life is a blessing to someone else, that's Him at work - not me. Grace focuses on relationship, rather than performance.

3. Lest we gloat: because grace is a relationship we can also be prone to doubt. In those times when the Lord seems distant, we often wonder about His love. It is important to guard ourselves against the performance thinking that is always with us and to trust that He is always present - as He says. (This is one of the reasons why the kenotic teaching is so harmful in my mind. If Jesus is not here with us, then how can any of it be true?) Doubts are resolved by a simple return to the truth.

Here's an exercise I have used in my life and have recommended to others: when you are faced with doubt, return to the simplest thing you know to be true. Begin to rebuild on the firm foundation. You know that there is a God. You know that the Bible expresses His purpose and plan. You know that He loves you. On and on. Always return to what you know to be true, no matter how simple it is, before you try to step into what you are not sure about.

For the record: I happen to be a fan of Mother Theresa. I have read some of her later words and have been impressed by her simple statements of relationship with Jesus. My guess is that her doubts were resolved (and that's why she wanted those letters destroyed!)