Struggling with Doubt

by Skip Heitzig | August 16, 2024

I remember my first struggles with the Christian faith after I became a believer. I was saved the summer before college, and I had professors who made it their aim to undermine my Christian faith. One of them told me exactly that—it was his stated goal. And there were many professors after him.

I got really discouraged, and I doubted and wondered if it was even true. And I wrestled and I struggled. But my doubts eventually became stepping stones to an unshakable faith.

When you're struggling with doubt, remember that you're in good company. Even great spiritual leaders have times of uncertainty. John the Baptist was absolutely convinced that Jesus was the Messiah who had been predicted by the prophets. Yet, when John was thrown into prison, he began to doubt (see Matthew 11:2-6).

Interestingly, when you find the word doubt in the New Testament, in almost every single instance it refers to believers, not unbelievers. For instance, Jesus said to His disciples, "O you of little faith" (Matthew 8:26). And even after the resurrection, there's a very interesting passage that says, "When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted" (Matthew 28:17).

Think about it. Even after He's risen from the dead, some are still struggling with who He is. It's almost as if you have to believe before you can doubt. You have to invest—to buy in—before you can even challenge what you believe in.

Here's how it works. A believer faithfully serves the Lord year after year, then something happens. Maybe it's the loss of a child or a debilitating disease. And that person looks up and says, "Why would You allow this to happen? Where are You when I'm really hurting?"

Maybe you're struggling. Maybe you're reading this, and you wonder, "Could all that Christians say about Jesus really be true? I have my doubts."

Let me just encourage you, if you are doubting, there's a lot of study you can do, and a lot of books you can read. But why not take it to Jesus first? That's what John the Baptist did with his doubts. He went to Jesus (that is, he sent his followers) to ask Him, "Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?" (Matthew 11:2)

Jesus cited biblical prophecy. "The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them" (v. 5).

But look at the last statement Jesus has for John: "and blessed is he who is not offended because of Me" (v. 6).

It's a gentle rebuke. He's saying, "Don't stumble even if you don't understand. Don't be offended if God doesn't do everything you want Him to do, or if miracles happen around you, but not to you, or if people are set free while you stay in jail. Keep believing in Me."

Here's my point: There's a lot of stuff we don't know, but there's a lot of stuff we do know. Never give up what you know for what you don't know. Always go back to the evidence and rest in that.

So let God be the One seated on the throne, and you be one of those who bow before it. Even with everything you can't figure out, remind yourself, "I have enough evidence to believe that God is big enough to handle it."

And if you're struggling with your faith, wrestle with it, reason through it, but remain in it. As Charles Spurgeon said, "I suppose no man is a firm believer who has not once been a doubter."

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