Wounded and Sick: Things That Cripple Your Faith

Doubt the Destroyer

•Doubt: The Destroyer•

Doubt is one of the most dangerous feelings when it comes to our faith. In the Bible, we are told that we will doubt, but faith should always silence them. When a doubt lingers, it can start to grow until there is more doubt; it becomes stronger until that doubt can begin to KILL your faith.

"But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin."
(Romans 14:23)

-Doubt in itself isn't necessarily a sin, but acting out of a faith you doubt is. As the Bible says, it condemns you. But why?

"But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do." (James 1:6‭-‬8)

-Doubt can cause you to be unfocused, unsure, and unstable. When you question something, it takes longer for you to make a decision and more likely to second-guess the decisions that you do make.

Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:24‭-‬29)

The most notable story of doubt in the Bible is, of course, doubting Thomas. I have found that this story tells us three things about doubt:

1. Doubt causes you to not hear the truth.

2. Doubt causes you to not see the truth.

3. Doubt causes you to not believe the truth.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." (James 1:5)

What is the cure for doubt? It's a three-step process.

First, turn to God with your doubts.

-Lots of times, we think we need to hide our doubts from Him, otherwise He'll become angry or disappointed with us. We are all stuck in this mentality sometimes that we aren't allowed to have doubts, but that's not true. None of it is. God knows we'll doubt, and when we do, it does not catch Him by surprise. He already knows, very single time.

" 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for one who believes." Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:23‭-‬24)

The second step is to ask God to give you faith.

-When you give God your doubts, you are confessing it to God; but that is only part of it. Now you need to admit that you need help overcoming that doubt.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God ; believe also in me."
(John 14:1)

The last step is the most important: Believe.