How to Overcome Doubt (and Live with Faith and Hope)
It’s not unusual to experience doubts in our walk with God. In fact, we should expect to have doubts at some point in our journey. Even John the Baptist, who personally knew and was even related to Jesus, experienced doubts when he asked Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (Matthew 11:13). It’s not surprising that, 2000 years later, Christians wrestle with doubt, but it’s crucial that we learn how to overcome doubt so that we can live a life of hope and victory.
We experience doubts for many reasons. Negative church experiences, human suffering, unanswered prayer, unanswered questions, and exposure to different world views that challenge our beliefs can all raise doubts. And while this is a normal part of our faith journey, our doubts must be addressed so they don’t derail our walk with God. Let’s dig into how we can manage doubts, grow spiritually in the process, and claim the blessing that comes along with our increasing faith.
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Understanding God’s Character
The first and most crucial step is to understand God. Unfortunately, many do not understand his character. We may love God. We might try our best to serve him based on what we learn in church. However, one church service per week will not teach us everything we need to know about God. And if we don’t know who he or our life experiences conflict with our image of God, it creates doubts.
Our relationship with God can be compared to an earthly relationship. When two people meet, one usually knows almost nothing about the other person. By spending time together and communicating, they discover more and more about each other. This can sometimes take years or even an entire lifetime to really know someone entirely.
And the truth is, we develop our relationship with God in the same way This is why we must:
Spend time with God in prayer
Study scripture
Talk with others about their experiences with him
Listen for his voice
The more we dig into God’s character, the more we understand that he is full of goodness, righteousness, power, and love.
Growing in Faith and Trust
Once we discover who God is, we must learn to trust him.
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that “without faith it is impossible to please him.”
1 John 5:14-15 promises, “…if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of him.”
Hebrews 11:17 tells us that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”
God wants us to have faith in him. He wants to give good things to us and fulfill our desires according to his will. But we need to increase our faith by studying his words and aligning ourselves with his will for our lives. And if we ask God to increase our faith, we should expect an answer.
Along with faith, we need to trust God, and this is not instantaneous. Like an earthly relationship, trust grows over time, and the strongest trust is developed in moments of crisis. Many long-time believers will confirm that it is in these crises that we can experience doubts, and our faith can falter. We might feel God is not being fair or we might question why he doesn’t instantly fix things. But, weathering difficult crises with God strengthens both our faith and trust.
The more we walk with him, the more we know that God is always faithful, and he is our rock and refuge.
Seek God’s Help
Our doubts can’t always be resolved by simply reading a few passages of Scripture. Most of the time, our doubts—especially the persistent, difficult ones—need prayer. In these moments, we must seek God and ask him to lead us to truth:
Ask God for wisdom. James 1:5 promises, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” Ask God to open your understanding when you study Scripture.
He can also bring other resources to you. It’s amazing when the right podcast, church sermon, or book miraculously finds you when it’s most needed.
Study God’s Word
Answers to questions about God’s character, our faith, and our next steps when dealing with crises or doubt can all be found in the pages of Scripture.
The Bible teaches us God’s likes and dislikes, as well as what he expects of us.
It shows us not only God’s love, faithfulness, and mercy, but also his judgment and discipline.
God’s Word contains the wonderful promises of God.
For example, if we doubt that God will be with us during a time of suffering, Hebrews 13:5 assures us that “He will never leave you nor forsake you.” If we doubt that God will teach us who he is, Proverbs 8:17 promises that “those who seek me diligently find me.”
Knowledge can overcome many doubts, which is why we must consistently study Scripture. God can speak to us in the pages of his word. The Bible is truly a Christian’s guidebook and will lead us to all truth. God gave us his word, his spirit, and the comfort and comradery of other believers and spiritual leaders so we are not “tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” (Ephesians 4:14).
How Can the Church Help?
Having a church community is important. Believers are the body of Christ, and we are told to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2) and encourage one another (Hebrews 10:25). Paul tells us that “we who are strong in our convictions and faith ought to patiently put up with the weaknesses of those who are not strong” (Romans 15:1). This is why the church always strives to be a safe space for people to grapple with their doubts. When we listen with compassion and love, we gently guide our doubting brothers and sisters to God’s truth.
No one has perfect faith. There is always room for growth, and while doubts can be scary or frustrating, they are a normal part of our faith journey. The good news is that our doubts today can be a doorway leading us to discover more about God. They are an opportunity to develop a deeper faith and transform both our individual lives and the effectiveness of the body of Christ.