As we examine the life of the Messiah, one topic that Yeshua often addresses—especially regarding miracles—is our faith. He frequently questions and challenges the disciples’ faith, rebuking their doubts and marvelling at those with great faith. Wouldn’t we all want to be among those whom Jesus says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.“
But let’s face it: as believers, we all experience doubt, yet we feel ashamed to talk about it with each other. Many of us think we should have no doubts at all.
After all, consider what James says about doubt. James 1: 5-8. But if any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God… but when you ask, you must believe and not doubt because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea blown and tossed by the wind. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
It’s What You do With Your Doubts
Double-minded (Greek: dipsychos) refers to having two minds, with one part of you (heart or soul) lifted to God while the other turns away from God, focusing on self or the world. Being double-minded causes you to go back and forth, like the Pushmi-Pullyu double-headed llama from the famous Dr. Doolittle stories.
So then, does doubting mean you’re unstable in all your ways? Yes and no. Here’s the thing. It is what you do with the doubts that will determine if you stay unstable. Each of us, regardless of age or social setting, faces challenges that cause us to doubt God and His word.
Testing Faith
We live in a world that claims there is no absolute truth, and everything depends on the situation. Your faith is tested when friends say science has all the answers and dismiss the need for God, arguing that science is close to discovering life’s origins.
Your faith is tested when you’re called a bigot and told you’re hard-hearted for disagreeing with homosexuality or other gender-related issues. You look around and see the suffering, the wars, and the injustices in this world, and you doubt God’s presence and His power to control evil. You might be struggling personally with a sin you just can’t seem to overcome. You doubt God’s power within you. You doubt your own worth, and then think you are not worthy of salvation.
You are Not Alone
So, if you doubt your faith, understand one thing: you are not alone. And don’t be misled by doubt; it doesn’t mean you lack faith. Let’s be clear about this: the opposite of faith isn’t doubt; the opposite of faith is being faithless or having no faith at all. It’s a deliberate choice to disbelieve and reject faith.
Definition of Doubt
What is the meaning of doubt? It is a feeling of uncertainty, questioning whether something or someone is reliable or valid. It also involves testing or challenging. Do you think it’s healthy to question things? Rene Descartes, a well-known Christian philosopher, said that we must doubt something first to confirm its reliability. There is some truth to that. As a Jew, I had to question a lot to ease my doubts about the claims of this Jewish Messiah.
The Value of Going Through Doubt
Sometimes, our faith needs to be questioned and tested; like gold, it must go through refining to become pure, and like coal, it needs pressure to turn into diamonds. Doubt is something God allows us to wrestle with and work through, while Satan uses doubt as a way to make us leave the faith, turn away from God, and become unstable and despairing.
Our First Case of Doubt
So, where in the Scriptures do we first see doubt? In the Garden of Eden. How did Satan deceive Eve? He didn’t cause arguments or accusations between the first couple. He didn’t use illness, nor did he steal from anyone. Instead, he planted doubt. Eve was seduced by doubt. “Surely God did not say that… surely God did not mean that… surely God does not want you to be wise like Him… Satan convinced Eve of two things: that God’s Word and His goodness are to be doubted.”
And here, Satan fuels your doubt by planting a lie: that true believers don’t doubt like you do, that they don’t struggle with sin as you do, and that their prayer requests are always answered… but yours are not. Notice that the first temptation does not deny God, His existence, or His authority. The doubt came from trusting God and His Word. It seems that, as humans, we are especially prone to doubt. Why is that? Because we are very relational, dependent on others, and live by trust.
When we doubt God and question who we are in Messiah, our understanding of our true position starts to shake. Positional truth confirms and solidifies who we are in Messiah, and that position is eternal and unchanging. We don’t have to be victims of doubt. Instead, we should bring those questions to God and seek answers.
Faith versus reason
Doubt, in general, can be viewed as something positive and a valuable tool on our path to making rational and logical decisions. It helps us pause and think before acting quickly. One simple rule to protect ourselves is this: when in doubt, don’t. Doubting can also act as a good moral compass, giving you time to question things more. Some think that these two, faith and reason, are mutually exclusive, meaning a believer cannot have faith and reason coexisting.
In Isaiah 1:18 we read the Lord saying, “Come and let us reason together”. In 1Peter 3:15, we read, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.” Our supernatural faith is very reasonable, logical, intelligent, and can be defended.
How Does God Treat Doubt?
We can’t help but think about many Bible characters who doubted. What was God’s response? Let’s look at Mark 9:24. A father in the crowd is distressed about his demon-possessed son. The boy foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. What a frightening sight for the father. The father says to Yeshua, “If You can do anything… pity us and help us”… “If you can?” asks Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” What was the father’s response? A sincere admission of his heart. Immediately, the father cries out, “I believe; help my unbelief!” He believes but struggles with doubt. This is a valuable lesson for us. God is seeking a transparent heart that says, help me, Lord, in my deep doubts, and He is eager to work with us.
Maybe in the next few days, take time to think about areas in your spiritual life that have caused doubt. Next time, we’ll look at more biblical examples of doubt and how God addressed them, as well as ways to handle our doubts.