Pondering Doubt

There are times in our lives when we doubt.  In our world today things are often judged by how they feel.  Everything is relative.  Even within the church there is a growing trend to base things on how we feel.  Do we feel the excitement, the vibrancy, the “feel-goodiness”, the emotional high that we think should accompany being a Christian.  When we base a relationship merely on emotion we are bound to end up in a crisis.  This is true in marriage; really in any relationship including the one we have with the Lord. 

What do we do when we do not “feel” close to God?  When we do not feel like he is active in our lives?  Have you ever felt abandoned by God?  I know I have been there and it makes me doubt.  Then I remind myself that to base my relationship with God on how I feel is pretty selfish, it is only focused on me.  I should be basing my relationship not on how I feel but on who God is! 

Having a husband in the ministry makes things seem even more difficult.  People expect the minister and his family to have the “perfect” Christian life.  We are expected to never struggle.  It is very hard not to be able to share our challenges with others, thankfully I have a God who is greater than any earthly confidant.  I have often struggled with what to write on my blog, I want it to be edifying to others.  I get frustrated and discouraged with myself when I cannot come up with something “profound”.  Then I realize that too is about me!  It is not supposed to be about me!  Then I am once again led to repent. 

I have noticed that when I am weak then Christ shines through.  I have noticed that when my husband is discouraged by a sermon he just preached it is often one in which Christ shines through the most.  God uses us in our weak states so that he is the one who is visible and not us.  It is in our times of weakness though that we doubt.  Again our focus is off.  Often, times of doubt are times in which we have moved our focus from God and the character of who he is to ourselves and our own strengths and feelings. 

There is emotion that comes with being a Christian, we are emotional beings, but being a Christian is not about emotion.  It is about resting in God and trusting in him and the character of who he is regardless of what we are feeling.

As I was pondering this today I ran across an article that echoed my very thoughts.  I want to share a portion with you.

I felt like Jacob when he woke up from his dream and said, “Surely God was in this place and I knew it not.” That really had an impact on me that day. I said, “Wait a minute. God promised that he would be here.” I didn’t feel his presence, and so I thought he wasn’t there. I had become a sensuous Christian, allowing my strength of conviction to be determined by the strength of my feelings. 

I realized that I’ve got to live by the Word of God, not by what I feel. I think that’s how you deal with doubt. You begin to focus on what God says he’s going to do rather than on your feelings. 

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE:  HERE