As He was grabbing on to Peter as he slipped beneath the water, Jesus asked him, “Why did you doubt?” At a different time, Jesus told his disciples that they could move mountains through prayer if they did not doubt. James says doubters are like waves of sea, blown and tossed by the wind. Jude said that we need to be merciful to those who doubt.
Have you been struck with doubt? Who hasn’t?
In my experiences with doubt, there is a vast difference between being tempted with doubtful thoughts and owning doubtful thoughts. Satan wants us to own his temptations of doubt so that we will not act in faith.
I know of no benefits to owning doubtful thoughts. On the other hand, there are some great benefits to being tempted with doubt. Let’s look at some.
1. Being tempted with doubt means that Satan is trying to stop me from hurting his kingdom with my faith. It is called spiritual warfare. Satan has nothing that works against faith. He cannot win, he cannot slow us down, and he cannot overcome us when we are walking in faith.
2. Being tempted with doubt can remind me of my sin of self-dependence. Self-dependence never accomplished everything for God’s kingdom. Self-dependence is a “boat anchor” that takes me straight to the bottom. God receives no glory in the midst of my self-dependence. Self-dependence is ugly, it is arrogance, and it is something that God opposes because it is pride. Unfortunately, it is also natural. So if I carelessly accept thoughts of doubt as my own, I loose. Satan wins. I purpose not to allow Satan to win because of my addiction to self-dependence.
3. Being tempted with doubt can refocus my eyes back on Jesus. He is the Author and Perfecter of my faith. He is my strength and my salvation. He is the Overcomer. He has a plan and I am a part of it. So are you. My faith is in the One who defeated Satan. When tempted with doubt, I must ask myself, “What is Jesus calling me to do or to become that Satan is resisting?”
It is not a sin to be tempted to doubt. It is a sin to doubt. I encourage us all to build coaching questions into our lives that allow us to see temptations of doubt as they really are: ways to dishonor God.
