The poet Kahlil Gibran teaches us, “Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother.” Most of us spend a lot of time doubting many things. We were taught to think of doubt as inherently evil force in my life. The advice of the poet leads us in a new direction. He tells us that perhaps doubt is a gateway to faith. To have a great faith, we must look carefully at what we believe and allow the discernment of our God-given image to speak to us.
Doubt is not the enemy of faith but the partner of faith. In our doubts we get to understand what and why we believe. All true faith begins with doubt. As we examine our doubts and fears, we begin to seek solutions to them. The upfront and obvious solution to doubt is faith in the God that made us and his ability to deliver us.
Jesus says over and over, “Why do you doubt,” but it was their doubt that caused them to seek him. When doubt overtakes us, we examine our thoughts, our actions and our motives and are driven to seek an answer.
Doubt can also be the great killer of ambition and progress. As doubt and fear join forces, they produce the personal “perfect storm” that has led to demise of many a person A “doubt storm” can prevent us from fulfilling God’s creative purpose for us. Doubt is tricky but necessary because without it we never really know who or whose we are.
Next time you are in doubt I urge you to look at why you are doubting, who you are doubting and what you are doubting? By asking these questions you can determine your solution. Serious introspection allows us to seek the wisdom and take the time to access our situation. Such an assessment allows us to know if our doubts are from within or without and thus leads us to call on that image of God that we all possess for a solution. Our God image can really allow us to prioritize our lives in quick fashion. I hope these observations will give you few things to ponder this week.
Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin
brother.~~~Khalil Gibran
One of the ego’s favorite paths of resistance is to fill you with
doubt.~~~Ram Dass
Love is strongest when we learn to trust in spite of the
doubts.~~~Anonymous
When in doubt, throw doubt out have a little faith.
~~~E.A. Bucchianeri
Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith.
~~~DieterF. Uchtdorf
The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.
~~~Sylvia Plath
Uninstall self-doubt from your mind.
~~~Anonymous
The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of
today.~~~Franklin D. Roosevelt
When you doubt your power, you give power to your doubt.
~~~Honore de Balzac
Never let self-doubt hold you captive.
~~~Roy Bennett
Worry, doubt, fear, and despair are the enemies which slowly bring us down to the
ground and turn us to dust before we die.~~~Anonymous
If you are going to doubt anything in life, doubt your own limitations.”
~~~Dan Brule
Doubt everything. Find your own light.
~~~Buddha
Successful people have fear, successful people have doubts, and successful people have
worries. They just don’t let these feelings stop them.~~~T. Harv Eker
the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise
in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to
your flesh and refreshment to your bones.
Proverbs 3:5-8
And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt,
you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to
this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will
happen.
Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of
little faith, why did you doubt?”
Matthew 14:31
Truly,I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the
sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come
to pass, it will be done for him.
Mark 11:23
And have mercy on those who doubt.
Fearnot, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen
you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right
hand.
And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your
hearts?
Luke 24:38
understanding.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not
for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come
and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek
me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:11-13
seen.
Hebrews 11:1
LORD
Relieve me of the guilt of doubt when it allows me to discern.
Allow me to see doubt as of way of growing in faith.
Give me the strength to cast away my doubts that cripple me.
Never allow my doubts to define me.
Relieve me of the pain of feeling I have to always be perfect and please Lord guide me as I go through this day.
AMEN
A Pastor's Thoughts 