Doubt

In the past several years I have heard many sermons about doubt. Some people say it is bad to doubt what you believe because then you are either questioning or weak in your faith. Others say that doubt is good because it forces you to ponder and formulate beliefs that are grounded on something deeper. I personally see a great value in doubt and questioning. The more you doubt something, the more you think about it and force yourself to decide what you really believe.

I know many people, maybe you are this way too, that do not doubt what I might call “the big stuff”. They don’t doubt that Jesus is real, that God is real. They probably don’t doubt that Jesus died on the cross to save them 2,000 years ago. They probably don’t doubt that God is in control. But they are still doubting. They doubt that God really cares about them personally. They doubt that God is always present, even through the worst of times. They doubt that God is listening to their prayers and cries of anguish. They doubt that God is constantly intervening in every aspect of their lives in order to strengthen, perfect, and complete them.

As Christians this is part of the process of becoming Christ-like. You will always have doubts about your faith and about how God is using you and the events in your life to make you complete in his eyes. If you have never had doubts as a Christian then you just might be in trouble. If you worry about whether or not you love Christ enough, then I would guess you do. Doubt is a positive thing as long as, in the end, your faith is strengthened. God loves you. He loves his children. He will not give a child of his any more than they can handle…with his help. If you are doubting, hear this: God is very real. He is very powerful. And he loves you very much. If you trust him and let him carry your burdens, he will never let you down. Let your doubt strengthen your faith, not tear it down. God will never fail you and never let you down. You need only trust in him.