When Everyone Else Believes and You Can’t

John 20:25a · Fresh Start: When Life Takes an Unexpected Turn

“The other disciples told him, ‘We’ve seen the Lord!’” — John 20:25a (CEB)

Imagine being Thomas in that room. Your closest friends are radiating joy. They’ve encountered something that changed them. And you feel nothing — or worse, you feel the weight of wanting to believe but not being able to.

There’s a particular loneliness in being the one who can’t get there yet. Everyone around you seems certain, and your honesty starts to feel like a deficiency. You wonder if something is wrong with you. You consider faking it just to belong again.

But Thomas didn’t fake it. He told the truth about where he was, even when it isolated him from the group. That takes more courage than we usually give him credit for. Pretending is easier than admitting “I’m not there yet” — especially when the people you love most are already celebrating.

If you’re in a season where other people’s faith feels foreign to you, you’re not broken. You’re in Thomas’s company. And Jesus is already planning to come back for you.

God, when we can’t match the faith of those around us, keep us honest rather than performative. You meet truth-tellers, not pretenders. Amen.