When it comes to doubt, don’t villainize or valorize.  

Jesus doesn’t villainize doubters.  Rather, he’s patient and bears with them, reaching out compassionately:

He rescues water-walking Peter when his faith fails and he begins to sink.  But he also challenges him:  “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matt 14:31).

Jesus invites doubting Thomas to see and touch his wounds, and Thomas believes (John 20:26-29).  Jesus then commends those who don’t see and yet believe, i.e., who take him at his word.

Doubting John the Baptist is reassured that Jesus was indeed the Messiah predicted in the Old Testament (Luke 7:22-23).  So John isn’t rebuked, even though he knew better (e.g., Luke 3:16).

And remember the father of the demon possessed boy: “I believe, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24).  Jesus does help him—he has mercy on the double-minded man (Jude 22) and heals the boy.

However, the New Testament doesn’t valorize doubters.  Doubt is not depicted as a posture in which we should be at peace: 

When we pray for wisdom, we are to “… ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6).  Here doubt is opposed; it is not a safe place to in which to settle and stay. 

Jesus says, “If you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen” (Matthew 21:21).  Doubt is discouraged, and faith is commended. 

A healthy church with maturing believers will seek God’s guidance to embrace both of these practices:  loving and caring for those who struggle with doubt, but also challenging them to see the compelling case for faith in Christ, and entrust their lives to him.