Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 ESV
While it’s easy to be critical and disappointed in ourselves and others when from time to time we struggle with doubt. Everyone would like to have a vibrant and vital faith that never wavers, one that always boldly leaps forward no matter the risk. Admitting doubt can feel like admitting failure.
Yet, if we’re honest, we all have moments when doubt rears its head. We do need to deal with our doubt, but we don’t need to feel ashamed or alone. God is familiar with our doubt struggles. In fact, if the Bible was purged of all the accounts of God’s great people in doubt, it would be a much shorter book. We see God strengthening and growing His people through doubt, not rejecting them.
Think for a moment. What biblical character immediately comes to mind as a person who was greatly used by God despite doubt? Maybe you thought of Gideon. God told him to fight the well-armed Midianites with only 300 unarmed men. Gideon (understandably!) had plenty of doubts. He kept asking God to give him signs, and God patiently did.
Or how about Moses? God called him to deliver the people and even promised from the get-go that He would be with him, protecting and guiding. But Moses had so much fear and doubt that he continued to insist he was not the man for the job. Again, God was patient and gave Moses his brother Aaron to go with him and be his voice.
Think about the disciples of Jesus. If never having doubt was a requirement for being a disciple, Jesus would have had none. His chosen team believed in Him to some degree, but Jesus asked them many times, “Why do you have so little faith?” He was not the kind of Messiah they were looking for, so that fed their lack of faith. And when Jesus was arrested, they all ran away.
But doubt is not a disqualifier with God. Instead of being an ending, doubt can be a part of a journey of growth. When a person honestly presents their uncertainties to God, He welcomes the questions and offers a path to deeper trust and a more mature faith. That’s what happened with the disciples. A team of men who were once distinguished by doubt became people of such faith and trust that they turned the world upside down. We are here because of them.
- My doubt is not a deal breaker with Jesus. It is an opportunity to work with God and let Him shape me into the person who can and will courageously live out His plan for me.