Do you ever have doubts? If we are honest, I think the answer for the entire human population would be a collective yes. For better or worse, dealing with doubts is a part of life. So, why do we sometimes pretend that it is not?

Unfortunately, there is a tendency to convince ourselves that doubting is bad. As a Christian, I have found this to be true in Christian circles. A doubt pops into our mind and we act like it is not really there. In other words, we act like, “If I ignore it long enough, maybe it will go away.” The issue is this usually doesn’t work. When we can no longer ignore the doubt, or stuff it away, it leaves us feeling ashamed. This could be because we believe we should be “strong enough” to not deal with doubts. Alternatively, it could be because we believe it reflects poorly on our faith. “If I believe God is in control, I shouldn’t have doubts,” we think. Neither of these thought processes are helpful or healthy.

The reality is, as human, we are finite beings. We do not know, or have the ability to control, the future. We can only see part of the picture, which leaves us with questions. This is part of being human and, I believe, by design. We are not created to be in control of everything. I have written about my struggle with this and the anxiety it has produced in my life. The God who created us understands that we have a limited perspective and will struggle with doubting at times. The Bible is full of people who found themselves doubting and God met them where they were.

When Joshua was preparing to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land, God encouraged Joshua to be, “strong and courageous” (Joshua 1). Why? Not because Joshua was “strong enough” but because God would be with him. Joshua probably had some doubts. In a famous interaction with Jesus, a man proclaimed, “I believe, help me overcome my unbelief,” after asking Jesus to heal his son (Mark 9). Jesus didn’t lecture the man about his struggle to believe, but instead met him in his doubt and healed his son. These are just two examples of many.

In case no one has told you, it is okay and normal to have doubts.

In the end, the doubts are not the problem. It is what we do with our doubts that is the issue.

What do I mean? In my experience, doubts can lead us in two directions: trusting truth or buying into lies. To say it another way, when doubts come, we will either be informed by the truth, which leads to freedom and clarity, or informed by lies, which leads to bondage and uncertainty. It is this fork in the road that will determine how our doubts will impact us. What does this look like practically? While I do not claim to be an expert, I can share how I try to approach it.

Doubts are something I deal with on a regular basis. Again, this is part of being human–at least for this human! One doubt that surfaces from time-to-time in my life is, “Am I enough?” This really goes back to self-worth and whether I am valuable because of who I am, or what I do. When I buy into the lie, and I do sometimes, I begin to believe I am not enough and I need to prove my worth. I believe I need to control outcomes to demonstrate how valuable I am. As I have written about in previous posts, this just leaves me trapped in anxiety, fighting a never-ending battle I cannot win.

When I choose to trust in the truth, the outcome is much different. I am reminded that God made me exactly who I am supposed to be and that my value is defined by Him, the God who created me and loves me. While what I do matters, it does not define my value. I need to do my part and trust God with the rest. When I am informed by these truths, I am able to walk through life with peace and freedom, doing what I can do without the burden of controlling outcomes to prove my worth.

Doubts are normal. It is where we go from there–toward truth or lies–that makes the different. Now, what if you realized your doubts are being informed by lies? There’s good news! It’s never too late to change direction and begin trusting truth. In fact, being aware of your doubts and the lies that you have bought into are the first steps in moving toward freedom and peace in the midst of doubts.

Have doubts? Me too. While I am not perfect at it, I invite you to join me in the journey to move toward trusting truth instead of buying into lies.

James Belt

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