When Doubt Grows into Faith

Ever had one of those seasons where doubt gnawed at your soul and kept you from living in abundant joy? Yeah, me, too.

With a life-changing decision on the line, I followed my usual checklist for making choices:

• What does God say about this decision — his voice deep in my soul?
• What does the Bible say about this choice?
• What do godly friends tell me?
• What do the circumstances show me?
• Do I have peace about this decision?

When the majority of these questions agree, then I feel ready to step into the decision-making process. I gulp fresh draughts of air and hug my inner peace.

Until doubt bombards my soul with its aggravating, “What if’s?”

What if this is the craziest thing you’ve ever done? What if this really isn’t God’s will for you and you’ve been royally deceived? What if this turns into chaos, then what are you going to do, sister? Some of the old legalism tapes replay in my psyche — the old stuff that says, “You’d better make the right decision or God will zap you.”

Yes, I know that is a lie, but old tapes rewind, pause, and replay no matter how many times we shush them. And the next legalism tape screams, “Doubt is not faith. Anyone who doubts is not worthy of the kingdom of God.”

You do know that legalism is insidious, cruel, and based on lies — right?

But doubt is not always a bad thing. In seeking the truth, we search for God. Without some form of doubt, we are left to roll around in our self-sufficiency and think we’re always right. No matter what happens. Without doubt, we live within our own view of religious pride. The lie that says, “My church and my beliefs are always right, and those folks down the road are wrong. Therefore, we are better than them.”

That sort of pride pushes people away and keeps us from loving our neighbors. And if we can’t love others, then how can we say that we love God who created those ‘others?’

Doubt rides with us in a roller coaster of belief systems, circumstantial evidence, and core values until finally — dizzy from the ups and downs of emotional turmoil, we whisper, “Whatever, Lord. Just make this struggle go away.”

In a recent devotional, Megan Anderson wrote, “Doubt and discontent are natural symptoms of growth; they nudge us away from the pitfalls of apathy and complacency. At the same time, a lack of clear direction can be taxing on our hearts.”

Taxing on the heart — yes! That was the feeling I experienced as I replayed my decision and the possible things that might go wrong if I chose unwisely.

Decisions always have a risk factor. We find out with the clarity of hindsight if the decision was a good one. But even if a particular choice is not the best path, a mistake is not a sin.

Take that – you old legalism liar. A mistake is not a sin.

So … I’m standing on the truth that God is with me in any decision. No matter what. I may feel joy or walk through the fields of terror. Yet, I am determined to trust God and see how he provides for me.

Ultimately doubt points us to where our faith originates and eventually lands — right smack in the arms of God.

©2025 RJ Thesman – All Rights Reserved

Image Attribution: reenablack / Pixabay

For more posts about faith, check out my newest study, Sustain Us, Oh Lord: Finding Strength When Life is Hard.