Is Doubt OK?

How often have you wondered whether it is ok to have doubts? Does it mean you’re not saved if you question that which you know to be true? Thank God for His word, and what comfort we find in it when we struggle!

John the Baptist was “filled with the Holy Spirit, “even before his birth (Luke 1:15).” He saw the Spirit of God descend on Jesus like a dove, and heard the Father speak about Jesus from heaven (Matt. 3:16-17). Yet in John chapter 11, we see that he sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He were the One they were waiting for, the Messiah.

How could this be? Filled with the Holy Spirit, how could he have doubts? The reality is that things hadn’t turned out the way he expected. He knew that the Kingdom of God was at hand, yet there he was, in prison… it didn’t compute. This wasn’t what he was expecting.

But rather than wallowing in his doubts, he looked for answers. He sent his disciple to ask the question that he needed answered. And when his disciples ask Jesus if He is really the One they are waiting for, Jesus doesn’t put them down. He didn’t question John’s faith or commitment. He points them to the facts… He points them to the truth.

“‘Go back to John and tell him about what you have heard and seen — the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good New is being preached to the poor.’ And tell him: ‘God blesses those who are not offended by me .’”

John 11:4-6 NLT

There are places where Jesus challenges the faith of the disciples and those following Him, but He doesn’t question John’s faith. In fact, after this He tells them about who John really is.

If you have doubts, or have struggled in the past with doubts, this should encourage you.

Even someone as great as John the Baptist went through at least one time of doubting. Fortunately, he had others around him who were able to dig in, ask the questions that needed to be answered, and remind him of that which he knew. For those of us along the multicolored road, we embrace the fact that we are on this journey together! When our times of questioning and doubt come, we have people around us to remind us of what we have heard and seen, helping us in our time of weakness.

Hopefully you have people in your life who can do that for you. It is one of the important parts of being actively involved in the body of Christ. You can also feel free to reach out to me as well if you are in one of those times, for God is faithful, and He will help you when you earnestly reach out to Him!