Doubt

Have you wrestled with doubt? I doubt that you have never done so. Sometimes little thoughts creep in ever so subtly and as much as the noise of the world covers, when we pause ever so slightly, we hear the whispering scoffers. We hear the denial of who Christ was and is and is to come. His Word is ever present, thank God, but it does not keep at bay the nay sayers who may or may not be swimming against the current we currently find ourselves in.

Soon, as the rationale of others is listened to, our empathy with their understanding of how things this side of the veil are perceived actually begins to make sense. In mere minutes their view of faith begins to shake ours and we become less firmly rooted. Soon, that upon which we stood seems like sinking sand rather than the solid Rock in whom we trust. It may be for mere seconds, minutes, hours, or days—but sometimes our thoughts turn up empty as we push on.

Perhaps a nugget here or there while delving into His Word brings us back to the foundation upon which our belief system stands. After all, that which was given was and is the gift of faith and thus—we believe. However, Satan is constantly in the mix—mixing us up and today as I pondered this topic, I came up with many a doubt.

• I doubt there is not evil in the world. There is. No doubt about that.
• If there is evil, then I doubt there is not good—there is good.
• I doubt Jesus did not truly live as his footprints are marked in His Word.
• I doubt He is not who He says He is, the Son of God, because I doubt He lied about that.
• I doubt we all don’t think at times that our word is much more important than His.
• I doubt I have the cognitive ability to truly fathom the love God has for me, and you.

Oh, you see, I have plenty of doubts, but when two negatives added together make a positive—proven in the world of Mathematics, why do we have such a hard time believing and trusting? I doubt we even know the answer to that, other than more often than not we want our own rationale to add up to a thumbs up and that’s not how it works.

You see, although faith is a gift, it’s also an invitation into the His passion—the Passion of Christ crucified. He showed us how faith was to be lived, and when we see it, we’d rather reach for a “Better Homes and Garden” version of it. Turning the invitation into a glossy imitation of what we think faith should look like, turns the imagination station into over drive. Soon, we are in the driver’s seat living out our faith as in surround sound—grooving to the tune of our words—not His.

What do we do when doubt enters in and we begrudge rather than receive? In Mark 9:24, a young boy’s father prays. “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.” And, just before the father spoke those words, in verse 23 Jesus speaks to the father. “All things are possible for those who believe.” It’s basic. He helps our unbelief—not I—not you—He.  Amen.