Doubt and Worship
I am positive many red flags just popped up for a lot of people. In fact, many of you probably just asked, “How is it possible for doubt and worship to co-exist?”
Well…first off, I believe it is extremely important to differentiate the words “doubt” and “denial.” Doubt is the act of questioning and feeling uncertain, whereas denial is the act of completely rejecting something. There is a huge difference between those words. So lets make one thing clear - to doubt DOES NOT mean to deny.
Sometimes I doubt __________________________.
Common answers usually include things like: my future, my calling, my faith, and even my God.
Everyone doubts…to doubt is to be human. Doubt is completely normal, even for those striving to live by faith. However, if left unchecked, doubt can lead us into something we would like to call “stagnant worship.”
Stagnant Worship – The outward display of worship without the inward reaction to worship. Otherwise known as “going through the motions.”
Dwelling within the doubt can keep us from growing deeper in our faith and relationship with God. This is not a safe place to be in, spiritually. Our relationship with God is meant to be ever growing as we pursue Him.
Dealing With the Doubt
So where do we go from here? Well, lets be straightforward… There are times when doubt invades so strong that it feels like our feet are ready to slip out from underneath us. Not only do we begin to doubt ourselves, but we also begin to doubt the goodness of God.
I believe in these moments, it is important to remind ourselves of the promises God has made in Scripture. To have biblical faith means to accept the truth and promise of God’s Word.
“Faith is like a muscle – the more we exercise it the larger it grows. The more we exercise out faith the more we see God’s faithfulness, and our confidence in Him and His promises grows.” – Tom Yeakley[1]
Doubting is normal…in fact, even Jesus’ disciples doubted! Peter doubted – Matthew 14:31. Thomas doubted – John 20:24-25. Some even doubted when Jesus was about to ascend into heaven – Matthew 28:17.
As the disciples discovered, there is always going to be a natural tension between doubt and worship. But they also realized that it was possible to worship in the midst of the doubt because the One they worshiped was far bigger than any of their doubts.
“Because faith is so integral to the life of believers, especially spiritual leaders, God frequently brings trials into our lives to help us grow in faith and trust in Him.” – Tom Yeakley[2]
These trials can cause confusion and doubt... But God’s desire is not to hurt you; it is to build you up with a promising life in Him. If you can push yourself to worship through the doubt, your faith and relationship with God will grow.
Getting Personal
I don’t deny God or my faith, but I would be lying if I were to say that I never doubted. In fact, doubt is one of the biggest areas in my life that I struggle with. Take a minute to watch the video below - this is my personal testimony on the topic of doubt:
As you heard in my video, the doubt in my life revolved around my calling. I would allow myself to so get caught up in comparison… to the level of believing that I am not good enough to go after the calling God has placed on my life. Because of this, I not only questioned the skills and abilities God has given me, but I also questioned the greatness of who God is and the control He has over my life.
I finally came to the conclusion that God was sufficient enough for me. Yes, my dreams include becoming a Christian music artist, but at the end of the day, the one desire I have in my heart is to make God known to the world. How God chooses to use me… that’s up to Him. But I do acknowledge the fact that God has placed a calling on my life that goes beyond anything I could ever imagine. Although it might not always be easy, I simply need to trust God.
Challenge: If doubt is something you are currently dealing with, no matter how big or small, then I challenge you to surrender. Take time aside to just be still in order to reflect on the fact that God is so much bigger than you could ever imagine, and He is going to take care of you. In fact, set time aside and open your Bible to Psalm 46:10, and just mediate on those words over and over again.
Thanks for reading!
Recommended Track of the Week: “It is Well” by Bethel
[1] Yeakley, Thomas R. Growing Kingdom Character: Practical, Intentional Tools for Developing Leaders. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2011. Print.
[2] Ibid