Everyone has doubts, especially about God. To experience times of doubt about God or our relationship to Him is part of being human. Doubt is a feeling of uncertainty about the truth, reality, or nature of something. We can’t see God, so we wonder if He really exists. We may see His hand in creation, yet feelings of uncertainty may sneak into our thoughts. Human beings seek more proof. We’d like to be certain.
So, is doubt sinful? True, doubt can show a stubborn pride if we insist on having proof for everything. Yet we live every day without proof. We turn on our electronics and expect they will work. After all, they worked yesterday. We live with our loved ones believing they will act or feel about us today as they did yesterday. Yes, if we hear or see something different, we might wonder. Even wondering can be a form of doubt, but it’s not necessarily sinful. It all depends on whether we pridefully demand proof.
Some doubts are like temptations. They come to us through images, thoughts or words and it’s hard to stop them. Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that temptation is common to all people, but God will give us a way to overcome it if we let Him. I believe we can say the same about doubts.
Remember how Jesus prayed in the Garden if there was another way to accomplish salvation? What He saw coming was terribly painful and He prayed for another way. Was that temptation or even doubt? Whatever the case, we know His Father didn’t condemn Him for it.
Luther once said temptations are like birds flying overhead. You can’t stop them from doing that, but you should stop them from making a nest in your hair. I believe the same can be said about the occasional doubts that creep into our thoughts. It’s only when we insist there must be proof for everything that we betray our sinful pride.
In a sermon yesterday I heard the pastor say if doubts keep troubling us we’d better deal with them. He gave three principles to do this: 1) Recognize that we all have doubts. Don’t run from them or think having them makes us less Christian. 2) Deal with doubt through God’s Word. Address your doubts using the Bible and God will help you clarify those uncertainties. 3) Doubts are overcome by a person, not by a situation. Jesus is that Person. He helps us deal with our doubts in a beneficial way. But don’t expect doubts to disappear just because things change.
Don't be afraid of doubt. The greatest of God’s servants had doubts, and God helped them get through to the other side, the place of more certainty and Godly peace of mind.
“Have mercy on those who doubt.” (Jude 1:22)
Rev. Bob Tasler
www.bobtasler.com
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