“Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done” (Matthew 21:21).
Have you ever doubted? How does it make you feel? Are you struggling with those feelings? You believe God is in control and nothing is impossible with Him, yet you struggle with believing. Well, you are not alone! No one is immune to it. All of us are susceptible to it from time to time.
There are several reasons why we experience so much doubt, though. Here are a few of them:
1. Because doubt satisfies our need for self-protection. We don’t like to be wrong, to get hurt, or to fail, so our subconscious reasoning says, ‘It’s easier not to trust, to lower expectations so I won’t be disappointed.’ But you are disappointed, aren’t you? Why?
2. Because doubting comes easily. We don’t wake up and say to ourselves, ‘Today I’m going to doubt God.’ No, doubt moves into a vacuum; it takes over when we don’t do the right things. We fail to operate by faith. (Romans 10:17 says ‘…Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God’). If you don’t keep your mind filled with God’s Word you’ll be constantly assailed by doubts.
3. Because doubters are easy to find. Sometimes the people around us dwell on all the obstacles and difficulties, opening the door to doubt. And once that stream starts flowing, you get carried along with it.
4. Because doubting is contagious. Doubt is easier to catch than the common cold, and its carriers are words. The Bible says in Proverbs 6:2, ‘You are trapped by your own words.’ The words you speak (and listen to) will either build you up or tear you down, increase your faith or decrease it.
You see, human beings have a tendency to doubt. You just have to know how to handle it when it comes. It is important for us to understand that doubt in itself is not sinful or wrong. Even the greatest men and women of God recorded in the Bible had to deal with it. Jesus does not debate the seeking doubter for doubting, for it often can be the catalyst that is required for new spiritual growth to take place.
However, if we are going to overcome doubt, there are several things we need to understand about the nature of doubt up front:
1. Many people think doubt is the opposite of faith, but it isn’t. Unbelief is the opposite of faith. Unbelief refers to a willful refusal to believe, while doubt refers to inner uncertainty.
2. Many people think doubt is unforgivable, but it isn’t. God doesn’t condemn us when we question him. Both Job and David repeatedly questioned God, but they were not condemned. God is big enough to handle all our doubts and all our questions.
3. Many people think struggling with God means we lack faith, but that’s not true. Struggling with God is a sure sign that we truly have faith. If we never struggle, our faith will never grow.
There is a big difference between doubt and unbelief. Doubt is can’t believe; unbelief is won’t believe. That’s a huge difference! Doubt is honesty; unbelief is pigheadedness. Doubt is looking for light; unbelief is content with darkness. Jesus is not the least bit afraid of honest doubters. The stories about Thomas and John the Baptist highlight this fact. Jesus does not debate the seeking doubter. The seeking doubter only needs enough evidence to make an informed decision to believe the evidence. Ultimately he understands that his choice is still a matter of faith.
You see, as human beings we will doubt from time to time. Our minds cannot fully comprehend the complexities of life. As Christians – followers of Christ – our beliefs are based on spiritual truths which are hard to fathom and which we accept based on our faith in God. So God understands our human frailness. Men and women of old also suffered or struggled with doubt too. This was placed in scripture to show us that it is alright – we are human.
Take for instance John the Baptist. He was sent to be the forerunner of Christ. He was sent on a mission. In executing his mandate, he was cast into prison for criticizing Herod about marrying his brother’s wife – an incestuous relationship. While in prison, he became so discouraged that he asked two of his disciples to go to Jesus and ask Him if He really was the Christ. There was some measure of doubt in his mind. However, John’s doubts did not negate his faith. Whatever doubts John had about Jesus, he still believed Jesus would give him the right and honest answer. Jesus sent the Word back with John’s disciples. He knew this would stir up John’s spirit to overcome the doubt.
The answer that Jesus gave to John’s messengers was profound: “Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.”
Can’t you just imagine how John felt? Probably weeping as he heard that validation? What an encouragement that must have been to him. John’s doubt went immediately! The matter was settled on that issue once and for all. He knew His life counted for eternity! He didn’t waste his life. He hadn’t wasted his words. He hadn’t wasted his faith. There absolutely was not a doubt in his mind who Jesus was, and that his life counted. Having heard that, I believe John died a contented man. He was at peace. Jesus knew that underneath those doubts there was genuine faith. Jesus was saying, “He’s still my man, doubts and all.” What an incredible affirmation. Jesus reminded John of the scriptures, to deal with his doubts.
The same also holds true for Thomas as well. When he was told that Jesus was raised from the dead, he too had doubts. This is what he said: “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I am not going to believe“. You know the story, but Jesus resolved his doubts by appearing to him and that settled the matter. Search the scriptures and you will see others who had period of doubting as well.
The only sure way to overcome doubt is to place your faith in the Word of God and depend on that no matter what happens. God is always in control. We might not get the outcome we want. But God knows best. He sees the bigger picture. We just have to trust Him. We must not allow our five senses to dominate our thinking. We must come to a place to where God’s Word is more real to us than anything we can see, taste, hear, smell, or feel. When we are in doubt, let us refer back to the Word of God just the way Jesus told John the Baptist and the other followers of Christ to do, for faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word.
That’s what John the Baptist did. God is not fragile. He can handle our doubts, our fears, our worries, and all our unanswered questions. He’s a big God. He runs the universe without any help. Our doubts won’t upset him. Tell him your doubts, cry out and ask for his help. Don’t fight the battle alone. Go to other believers with a strong faith and godly insight and ask them to walk with you as you face your doubts honestly.
It is a wonderful truth that the greatest doubters often become the strongest believers. And honest doubts – once resolved – often become the bedrock of an unshakeable faith. It has been said that no truth is so strongly believed as that which you once doubted. We need to hold on to God’s Word. That’s Jesus’ method of dealing with our doubts and that must be our stance as well.
Let us ask God to help us to walk by faith and not by sight. That’s what Noah did when he built the ark. That’s what Abraham did when he offered Isaac. That’s what Moses did when he marched through the Red Sea on dry ground. That’s what David did when he faced Goliath. That’s what Joshua did when he marched around Jericho. That’s what Daniel did when he was thrown into the lion’s den. That’s what Nehemiah did when he built the wall.
Don’t you think that all of these great heroes of the faith had their doubts too when faced with life’s circumstances? Of course they did. They didn’t know in advance how everything was going to come out. But they took a deep breath, decided to trust God, and they acted on their faith and not on their doubts. Do the same thing and your faith will continually grow stronger. Overcoming doubt isn’t just about feeling better; it’s about getting back into faith that only comes from the Word of God.
About the Author: Mrs. Marilyn Hodge owns and operates the Wellness Centre in the Farrington, Anguilla. The Centre offers Counselling Services by Appointment Only and has now published Positive Living Volume 2. Contact information: 476-3517 or email:marilynb@anguillanet.com. www.facebook.com/axawellnesscentre
