An Attitude of Doubt

     One of the biggest things I learned as we studied an attitude of doubt is that what you do with that doubt determines the outcome. You can choose to focus on doubt and not hold it up to the truth of God's Word and it can cause doubt to grow bigger. Or you can choose to hold it up to the truth of God's Word and that doubt can actually grow your faith. I have definitely seen the truth of this in my life in the weeks since I lost my baby.

     Doubt often comes out of hardships and struggles. Many people have said they are amazed by my faith as they watch me walk this journey after miscarriage. All I can see is how weak I am. I know how many times I have doubted God, and I've needed others to remind me of the truth of His Word. I've needed to be reminded to go find the truth that speaks to my doubt. Every doubt I've held onto has grown and overwhelmed me. Yet every doubt that I have chosen to hand over to God and believe the truth of His Word has made my faith grow.

      In those times when I'm doubting, I have to remember God's character. Who He says He is, and how I've seen Him to be faithful in my own life. Doubt can never stand up to the truth of God and Who He is. It will fall every time. James MacDonald talks a lot about how God puts regular tests of faith in front of His people, and how the circumstances of life will either shrink or stretch your faith. Since I lost the baby, my faith has definitely been stretched. And I'm so thankful for that. I know that it is God's grace in my life. Losing my baby could have just as easily shrunk my faith if I would've made different choices in the grieving process. It is a choice that continually has to be made though. It would be sad to think that I would start choosing to doubt and lose all the ground that through God's grace I have gained since my baby died.

     Doubting is contagious. If you surround yourself with people who often doubt God, you will find yourself doubting Him too. The reverse is also true if you surround yourself with people who trust God and point you back to His truth, it will help your faith in God grow. I'm so thankful for each friend in my life that points me back to Christ and His truth. Who speaks the truth in love, especially when the truth is hard to hear but very, very necessary. 

"But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like 

a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind."

James 1:6