By Briana Bass, Christian Romance Author, Devotional Writer & Certified Professional Coach
I know we don’t like talking about it. We feel guilty for even thinking it. If I doubt God’s power, or existence, or role in my life, does that make me unworthy? Surely there must be something wrong with me. Doubting God? Who does that?
Friend, we’ve all been there at some point in our lives. Doubt can be big or small. It can sneak up on us or be a constant presence. Some people doubt for only a moment while others struggle with doubt for years. It’s a perfectly natural human experience. So, let’s normalize talking about it!
For my part, I’m writing this blog post to contribute to a discussion that I feel is largely ignored or even ridiculed. We should feel safe talking to other people about our doubts, and we should be safe places for other people to talk to us about their doubts. So if you need a safe space, friend, feel free to message me. I want to talk about doubt in a healthy, constructive way, not brush it under the rug or twist it into something shameful.
If you’re experiencing doubt, this message is for you. You are God’s beloved child. The thoughts you’re wrestling with will not stop God from loving you. You are not irreparably broken. Doubts can actually be a good thing! How can that be? Read on for answers!
Seek and You Shall Find
Thoughts are thoughts. Sometimes a particular thought flies into your brain from out of nowhere. It has zero context to anything you’re doing or thinking at that moment. It pops in like an unexpected visitor. You ask, “where did that come from?” Then you start to pick at the thought, turning it over, examining it from every angle. The rabbit hole pulls you down, down, down. Unless that thought leads to an action, the thought itself is simply an idea and an idea that is not put into practice is not a sin.
In the same way that a thought is not sinful, it is not sinful to have doubts. There is no shame in having doubts about God. Doubts lead to questions and exploration. That’s a good thing! We should seek more knowledge about God. We should thirst to better understand the character of God:
My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
Proverbs 2:1-6 (KJV)
Cry, lift, seek, and search and then you will understand. Doesn’t that sound an awful lot like doubt? Doubt is a yearning for the truth. It’s our souls’ way of saying we are in need of the Truth. As John 14:6 says, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (KJV). Doubt leads us to Jesus. It sounds like counterintuitive, but it’s a fact. When we question, when we struggle, when we wonder, those are the times Jesus calls us to Him.
Doubt Leads to Spiritual Growth
Having a moment or season of doubt does not make you a bad Christian. I’m sorry for all the messages you’ve heard that make doubt sound like the worst possible sin and make you believe you are the worst possible sinner. Jesus will not turn His back on you because life has knocked you down and now you’re having doubts about Him. Friend, that is the moment when He moves even closer to you.
Doubt is an opportunity to grow in faith and deepen your relationship with Jesus. God will provide example after example of how He is working in your life, giving you reasons to trust in Him. Now, how you react to those opportunities, that’s where free will comes into play. While it’s natural to doubt, and doubts can lead to a stronger connection with the Lord, you still have a choice to make. You must choose to trust in God. You must choose to take His proffered hand and believe in Him. But you are not expected to make that choice immediately. It’s okay if it takes some time before your doubts start to transform into knowledge and devotion. Jesus is patient. He will wait for you.
Don’t forget that Thomas had doubts (he’s known as Doubting Thomas for a reason, though we should give him more credit than that). He wasn’t with the disciples when Jesus appeared to them after the Resurrection. Thomas refused to believe that Jesus was alive unless he saw Him for himself and could touch His wounds. Well, eight days later, Jesus appeared to the disciples again and this time Thomas was with them: “Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God” (John 20:27-28 KJV). Jesus knew what Thomas needed in order to assuage his doubts, and He knows what you need, too. If a disciple could have doubts and still be counted among Christ’s followers, then why not you?
Only Human
Thomas is so relatable. It’s totally human to doubt what we cannot see, to question the testimony of our friends. Questions can be good! It means you seek knowledge. It means you seek God. And He wants you to seek Him.
Doubts are not the end of your story. Rather, they can be the start of something wonderful. Do not let pride or fear keep you from admitting when you have doubts. Remember that it’s simply part of being human.
Briana Bass 