Initially, people allowed their doubt or indecision to be a real problem. Genesis 3 describes events in the Garden of Eden. The serpent, better known as the devil, was clever and was able to manipulate Eve by placing doubt in her mind. The devil asked her if God told you not to eat from this particular tree. We all know how this doubt led to the eviction of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. So what really is doubt, and why do we suffer from having doubt? Humans tend to question everything. Being inquisitive is a good thing that has allowed civilization to advance in the sciences, medicine, technology, and many other areas. We want to know why things are what they are and how they work. But many times, we have feelings that worry us and cause us to hesitate to move forward. This uncertainty causes us to question the truth or likelihood of being successful. Doubt takes away our confidence and brings fear into the situation. Doubt causes us to waver and, many times, to quit.
In the Book of Genesis, Abraham and Sarah doubt they will ever have a child. God promised them a child would be delivered to them even with their advanced age. God always keeps His promises, and Isaac was born. In Exodus, Moses does not believe he is qualified to lead the Jewish people. Moses worries he will fail to lead the Jews out of Egypt and out of slavery. From the very beginning, we have been in good company to doubt things we do not understand and cannot see an end to. It is said that doubt is not an end to a situation but maybe the beginning. In First Peter, Peter tells everyone to be prepared to answer and tell people what they believe. This is the same Peter who doubted Jesus and sank into the water, standing next to Jesus. Struggling with doubt and resolving it builds new strength in our faith, especially in our Christian faith. “Christians are encouraged to simply believe – but not to believe simply.” (Staff, n.d.)
Every day, we are bombarded by information that causes doubt. The Internet, television, and radio are full of perversion, sexually immoral acts, propaganda, and out-and-out lies. The pressure on children, young adults, and society is overwhelming. It is estimated that sixty-plus million people have stopped attending religious services, which grows by almost three million yearly. This causes many people to look at things in an either/or attitude. This good or evil attitude causes people to stop using the parts of their brains that allow for curiosity, imagination, and other emotional thoughts. This thinking causes judgemental mistakes and withdrawal to occur. We begin to look for faults rather than trying to understand or feel another’s pain. With all the attacks from misinformation, perversion, the public display of deviant behavior, and sheer hatred for all things good, it is easy to doubt society and the beliefs we have learned growing up. Young people are being taught that religion is a false teaching with lots of made-up fairy tales that could not happen. The creation story, the great flood, The Ark of the Covenant, Jonah and the whale, Jesus being the Son of God, and Jesus being raised from the grave are scorned as foolishness. All Christians know that these stories are true and have no problem in our belief system. However, there are many who doubt the Bible. For those, it is very important that we as Christians do not weaken our beliefs or give up on the non-believers. We may or may not change the non-believer but we can show them that it does not matter if the stories are factual. The important thing we can teach them is that the stories’ meaning is true. It does not matter that the non-believer sees the Bible as factually accurate; what matters is that we start living each story’s point. The doubt will be removed once the non-believers see the hidden purpose, and a new purpose may be found.
In James 1, James warns those who lack wisdom to ask God. James states, “God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” We are reminded in Jude 22 that it is easy to look down on doubters and to judge and condemn. Jude 22 tells us to “have mercy on those who doubt.” At some point, everyone will have doubts and question things we do not understand. When we were young and knew everything, we did not want to listen to our parents, teachers, or preachers. But at the same time, we want to know all the answers. During times of doubt, whether you are young or old, we question things we do not understand. Just because we do not understand does not mean we have lost our faith or become unbelievers. Not understanding or doubting can be a bridge to a stronger faith. When we question our faith, we need to question our doubts; when we have doubts, we need to question our faith.
Jesus never corrects or repudiates his non-believers but invites them to prove to themselves what they should believe. When Thomas doubted, Jesus invited him to touch his hands to prove what had been done. Proverbs 3:5 states, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”
Staff. (n.d.). Doubt. Retrieved from Christianity: https://www.christianity.org.uk/article/doubt