Struggling with Doubts?

November 13, 2022

 ‘After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.” Abram said, “O Lord God, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir.”’  – Genesis 15: 1-3

Is life not working out quite as you hoped? Is your faith barely hanging on? 

If you’re struggling with doubt, it’s time for an honest conversation with God.

Why?

Because faith isn’t the absence of doubts; it’s learning to express doubts to God.

Let’s look into the life of Abraham. From leaving his homeland and boldly stepping out in faith, to doubting God so much that he veered off track and took matters into his own hands; Abraham is all over the place during his faith journey.

So, what can we learn from Abraham in dealing with doubt in our own lives?

  • Let Doubts Out. Abraham expressed his doubts and God wasn’t disappointed or angry. In fact, God responded. And that’s what we are called to do in Jesus Christ. It’s not a problem to have doubts. It’s not a problem to question. It’s a problem when we don’t voice our doubts to God. Abraham believed in God, so he was honest with God.
  • Choose Faith. Abraham chose to believe. Abraham was made right with God because of his faith – not because of his actions. In the New Testament, we see a parallel to Christ – it is through faith in Christ alone that we are saved. Abraham chose to believe even when it didn’t make sense.
  • Surrender. When Abraham expressed doubts, God reassured him by establishing with him a covenant, an irrevocable contract (Gen. 15:18-21). All the responsibility for the fulfillment of this covenant was with God. All Abraham had to do was trust that God would come through. In the same way, salvation from sin and death and hell— is all up to Jesus. It is not up to us. We’re just called to believe it—to believe in Christ as Abraham believed in the Lord.

What will you do when life’s circumstances raise doubts? Don’t ignore them, confront them. Bring them before God.

He’s not afraid of your doubts. You shouldn’t be either.

Written by Bryant Wright, Founder, RFTH