Doubt has a stubborn power over the human heart, and while it’s an uncomfortable place to sit, it’s a normal part of the human condition. Far better to bring it to the surface than to try to push it down. Like a beach ball in a swimming pool, it will surface anyway.
There’s a false assumption that “good” Christians, varsity-level believers, never struggle with doubt. Naturally, this feeds shame. We’re much better served to bring our doubts out into the light where we can see their true nature and follow their tangled roots.
Make Time to Examine Your Doubts
Step one in dealing with doubt is to make time to examine it.
Honestly, though?
This is 2025.
We have jobs, families, and so many obligations.
Even so, time immersed in Scripture is healing. The Bible provides a script for our doubts with words of outrage and dismay, sadness and abandonment.
God remembers that we are dust. His own Son cried, forsaken, from the cross. A slow read through Lamentations, Psalms, Job, Habakkuk, or Ecclesiastes reminds us that we are not pioneers in the Land of Doubt.
Pressing into our doubts instead of ignoring them opens the door to an authentic relationship with God through the means of grace, the spiritual disciplines he has provided for us to make room for him in our everyday lives.
I would suggest that a complacent and unexamined faith is more dangerous to the believing heart than persistent doubt that pushes the doubter to seek God wholeheartedly.
A complacent and unexamined faith is more dangerous to the believing heart than persistent doubt that pushes the doubter to seek God wholeheartedly.
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Don’t Tackle Your Doubts Alone
Poet Annie Dwyer offers a remedy for the sense of aloneness that feeds doubt:
I surround myself with belief,
The way the blind surround themselves
With those who can see.”
“What are they seeing that I’m missing?” might be among the most healthful of all questions!
Far from a rosy view of the Christian life, this is a solid strategy for hanging on to the shreds of a faltering faith. Church family and Bible study companions can be trustworthy guides pointing the way to truth. During dry and doubting times, I have found myself rescued by illuminating words on the path written by stalwart writers like C.S. Lewis, Eugene Peterson, Luci Shaw, and Philip Yancey.
“What are they seeing that I’m missing?” might be among the most healthful of all questions!
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Near to God’s Heart
Just as human relationships suffer from distance, our relationship with God, our confidence in his character and his love, will diminish with anything that distances us. Habitual sin, questionable companions, poor entertainment choices, or poor time management will get in the way and can exacerbate our struggle with doubt.
This old hymn is a peaceful way to pray against doubt:
Hold us who wait before Thee
Near to the heart of God.”
Ultimately, we are being held in the strong arms of a God who won’t let us go
Holding You in the Light,
An old hymn is a peaceful way to pray against doubt and acknowledge that, ultimately, we are being held in the strong arms of a God who won’t let us go: “Hold us who wait before Thee near to the heart of God.”
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Living Our Days 
One of the most helpful things I learned as a young believer was that God could handle my questions and complaints, I only needed to be honest with him. I think we need to be honest with each other about our doubts and questions as well – sharing what we’ve learned, and not reacting with understanding and compassion when others say they have doubts or questions. Good word!
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Absolutely! When we press into our doubts, when we express our true heart to God, we get more of him, and our faith is deepened.
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I used to pray something like, “Lord, if there is an answer to this particular question, please help me to find it.” There are many things we have to accept as mysteries, but people before us have thought through many of the questions we wrestle with. I agree, it’s so much better to examine and ponder and pray and seek answers than to keep brushing questions under the rug.
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Yes, we’re not built to be satisfied with mere answers. We need a relationship with the living God!
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“Time spent immersed in scripture is healing.” AMEN to that, Michele! I can’t imagine doing life day-to-day without the stabilizing, encouraging, enlightening, and empowering influence of Bible study. I know you feel the same, Michele! Doubts don’t have a chance to root into our spirits so easily if we stay rooted in scripture.
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Truth is the shield that protects and defends!
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“I believe; help my unbelief” – has put me right at the Father’s feet when I don’t understand, when doubt for biblical promises tries to creep in. Also, from about 27 years ago, “If there’s more God has for me, I want it” – and so I came to Him with doubts and hopes about this “more” I was hearing about. You wrote: “We’re much better served to bring our doubts out into the light where we can see their true nature and follow their tangled roots.” – and by asking Him to help with those doubts we bring out to Him, He leads us. If we just ignore those doubts – oh, how our soul misses out on the so much more He has for us. Bless you, my friend, for going into the challenging places.
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Bless you for coming along!
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‘We’re much better served to bring our doubts out into the light where we can see their true nature and follow their tangled roots.’
As a former doubting Thomas, I heartily agree, Michele. Let’s bring those doubts right out into the light of His love.
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I didn’t know you had a Doubting Thomas phase in your history!
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Thank you for an insightful look at something we all deal with!
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It’s the real deal, isn’t it…
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