Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and *said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" Matthew 14:31
When we honestly face our doubts, often they're not so terrible; when examined in the light of day, they turn out to be only harmless shadows.
· Admit them- There are lots of causes for doubt. Improper concept of God and His workis one thing that can cause doubt. These disciples didn’t understand who God was or what He was doing. God was doing what He had intended. They just did not understand Him. We often have the same problem. Personal failurecan be a cause for doubt. An attitude such as “I would never…”, “That only happens to other people…”,Job loss, divorce,cancer, death of a loved one or other personal tragedy– “Did not think God would do that to me” can bring on doubt. National or Global Tragedy– “A good God would not do that.” All these things can cause us to doubt and feel like God has abandoned us.
· Examine them-Unexamined truth does not bring security or power. Don’t panic - Seek answers from scripture. Christianity is making some remarkable claims, when you think about them. His friends claim he came back to life after being truly dead. He will come again to wrap up history. Read Christian apologetics; Defense of Christianity Don’t let fear that your doubts may be true keep you from discovering the evidence you need to confirm your faith.
· Discuss them-Go to the right people and the right sources. Jesus went to God’s Word. Doubts are most often NOT caused by a lack of faith as much as a lack of understanding. 3. Don’t hang around wrong people. We fear talking to the family of faith about our doubts so we turn to the world for our confirmation. WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?! - Talk to the right people
· Suspend them- If, after all your efforts, nagging doubts remain, put them into a little compartment at the back of your head labeled 'To be investigated later. If you're honest, you won't be bogged down in what you can't believe, but will act on what you can believe. Realize that you can manage doubt. If you wait until you are 100% certain, you will never act.
· 'Resolve them- Don't succumb to the "paralysis of analysis." Accept the truth and move on. Accept the answer when it comes. Open your mind to God's revelation. Realize an improper base will not sustain a structure of truth. When God enlarges your faith to cover your doubts, you will have a BIGGER God. You may also have a larger ministry. Believe and get to work. Do something!
A doubt is merely a trigger for the search for deeper faith. If you say you’ve never doubted then you haven’t grown in your faith. To pretend you've never had any doubts is to be mindless (or a hypocrite). A preacher who runs out of something to say just gets louder. Weak 'Point - shout!
If your doubts are real it's unrealistic to believe they're not there. They won't just run away. They'll continue to lurk in the shadows of your mind. When we honestly face our doubts, often they're not so terrible; when examined in the light of day, they turn out to be only harmless shadows.
If your doubts are real it's unrealistic to believe they're not there. They won't just run away. They'll continue to lurk in the shadows of your mind. When we honestly face our doubts, often they're not so terrible; when examined in the light of day, they turn out to be only harmless shadows.
Scripture to Claim:And He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? "See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. Luke 24:38-40\
