Is It Okay to Doubt?

“And have mercy on those who doubt.”
(Jude 1:22)

Doubt is one of the most common kinds of thoughts that run through my mind. I doubt whether I turned off the burner on the stove after I’ve left the house. I doubted whether my teenagers were telling the truth when they come home after curfew. The Apostle Thomas doubted whether Jesus had really risen from the dead. There are times when I doubt whether I am interpreting a passage of scripture correctly and there have actually been times when I doubted if God was really listening to my prayers.
God certainly allows me to doubt. He has enough confidence in himself that he permits me those moments of uncertainty. He knows those uncertainties often come from the whispers of the devil. I have fallen prey to the lures of this fallen world when I distrust the legitimacy of the warnings to avoid them. I have questioned whether God really loves me when something bad happens; which is just what the devil wants.
Doubt can be a very good thing especially if I find that burner was really left on. Doubts about my faith are always acceptable and healthy as long as they lead me to further examination and not stagnation to the point of disbelief. When I was a teenager, smarter than everyone else, I began to doubt that God even existed. Instead of really investigating the evidence, I listened to those whispers of the devil and the outright lies of his willing servants.
If you have doubts about anything to do with your faith, the first thing to do is pray about it. That’s often all it takes, but sometimes the issue is so complicated, you’ll have to intently study the scriptures to find the answers. There will be times when you have difficulty understanding what you’ve read. The opinion of an older believer like an elder or minister is invaluable. It’s not a sin to doubt. God wants you to seek the truth about your questions. With prayerful study, he is always faithful to answer.




Dear Lord, you are the reason for our rejoicing, the reason our prayers are answered, the reason we have any idea at all what love is. How can we doubt anything about you? We are so fickle, Lord. On one day we can be filled with joy when we feel deep in your presence, then the next, we wonder if you exist because of a serious trial we’re facing. Please be with us in our doubt. If our uncertainty is affecting our faith, lead us to the scriptures or persons that can set us straight. When we encounter another person who doubts, help us to have compassion on them. Remind us that we have occasional doubts ourselves. Help us to be the person that can lead them to a strong faith in you. We never want to be someone who treats a doubter harshly. Jesus is our best example in the way he treated the Apostle Thomas. He was calm, loving, and understanding. He didn’t chastise Thomas but led him back to a strong faith with the way he treated him. Help us to be just like Jesus. It’s in his name we pray. Amen!
Location: Kendall, NY 14476, USA

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