To doubt something is to be uncertain of belief or opinion. To think critically before accepting an idea. In other words to be a skeptic. As a Christian, you can have doubt when it comes to not knowing for sure if you heard the Lord correctly in prayer or maybe when you fail to wait for his guidance. Doubt can be caused by the fear of making the wrong choice.
The Lord wants you to make the right decisions in every circumstance. Sometimes people have a hard time trusting things without physically witnessing them. You want proof that something is true. You want to make sure of something before you believe or understand it.
Let me give you an example in John 20: 24-29 which tells the story of one of Jesus’s disciples, named Thomas, known as “Doubting Thomas.” Here is his story.
"Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve disciples, was not with them when Jesus came. Therefore, they said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So Thomas said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." And after eight days His disciples were again together, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!" Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing." And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Thomas because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
Even though Thomas walked the earth with Jesus and saw many of his miracles, he still doubted the miracle of Jesus’s resurrection.
I am sure you have been in that situation where you wanted to see tangible evidence to prove something had happened. But this is where faith steps in and says that you need to still believe even if you can not see the evidence.
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11: 1)
So if you are experiencing doubt with a situation right now let me give you some steps to take to hopefully help you get rid of the doubt.
6 STEPS TO GET RID OF DOUBT
Step #1 – Clear your heart of sin. Any sinful attitude or habit must be removed before you can hear the Lord speak to you. Ask God if there is anything in your life that you may be sinning against. And when he reveals this sin you repent of it immediately.
Step #2 – Be patient. Demanding an immediate answer from God is a sign of distrust.
Step #3 – Recognize you may experience pressure. When seeking the Lord’s direction, be careful not to let anyone or anything persuade you to choose a path other than God’s path. There will be people that won’t understand why you are waiting on an answer from the Lord. Or even your fear of losing an opportunity may cause you to move ahead when God wants you to wait.
Step #4 – Be persistent in prayer. Just because you don’t receive an immediate answer from the Lord, doesn’t mean he is not listening. As you wait, he deepens your relationship with him and deals with issues in your life that are preventing you from growing spiritually.
Step #5 – Rest in God’s promises. The Lord will show you in his word what he wants you to do. You must remember his promises and believe that he will answer you. He assures you and me that He will answer the prayers of those who ask, seek, and knock (Matthew 7: 7).
Step #6 – Wait for His peace. The last step in helping you to leave your doubt on the sidelines is to let Christ’s peace wash over you. You will know it comes from the Lord if you have peace with the situation you are dealing with. That would be proof that you are following his will.
CONCLUSION
When you are faced with a decision or circumstance that makes you want to doubt, remember God’s word is his primary way of speaking to you. If you are unfamiliar with the bible I suggest starting in the book of Psalms. And then pray for the Lord to give you wisdom and understanding as you read his word. The Holy Spirit will make the word clear to you and then you will be able to discern what you need to do in your circumstance.
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