Putting Doubt on the Altar

Lately I’ve wondered if the average Christian considers doubts and unbelief concerning the promises of God to be sins. Doubt gets labels such as worry, concern, fretting, anxiety, even burdens, that should be prayed about…

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:5–7)

Yet doubts should be seen for what they are: failure to trust God. I can call them whatever I want, but must remember that if someone is not trusting God at all, the Bible labels them as sinners. For a Christian, the only way to deal with sin is this:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Instead of praying, if I am in a dither, why is that? Do I think I am responsible for the needs all around me and must ‘do something’ to fix them, as if I could? Or do I say I’ve not heard a direct order from God about taking action, so don’t even pray but still worry. Or am I using an excuse to avoid getting involved but still feel anxious? Or feel nothing and do nothing?

A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. (Luke 10:30–32)

Their excuses are not given. Maybe the priest had an appointment or the Levite didn’t hear God tell him to stop. Maybe both of them said helping victims of crime is not my job. I can hear myself in this story saying I don’t have time, or such and such is more important, or I have no skill in dressing wounds, or something other than faith to ask, “God, equip me, fill me with Your Spirit so I know what to do and how to do it”?

I’m not certain all disobedience boils down to doubt, but it likely does. Today I sense my doubts in procrastination. I’m responsible for three looming tasks that do not match my skills or experience. I need God’s input. I have experience in getting His help in the past — for many challenges. Why am I faltering on these three? Is it because I don’t think He will help me?

To be free from unbelief, the most effectual process is to lay those doubts, just as I lay other sins, on God’s altar and totally surrender them and myself to Him. I must give up all liberty to doubt and instead consecrate my faith to Him, trusting Him to keep me trusting Him and refusing to question His love and faithfulness. He says He hears and answers, so why hesitate? I excuse it with laziness — but that needs to be confessed too!

The temptations might sound like, “God isn’t concerned that these get done” or “Perfection is required and I’m not up to that” or “I need human help but there is none” and blah, blah, blah.

God tells me to turn a deaf ear to all that, confess what is sin, then just jump to it, trusting Him with the first steps (which are usually very simple) and see what happens. The fight to do this seems severe, even impossible, yet today’s devotional reminds me of Job who faced far greater challenges than mine. He complained much (I can relate to that) but he also said, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15).

PRAY: Lord, forgive my fears and doubts that You will hear and help me. If you don’t, maybe these three things are not important right now (or is that another excuse?) but if You do, You will be glorified. Certainly this fight with doubt is part of the enemy’s strategy to keep me from both praying and just moving ahead in faith, trusting His supply and bringing Him glory.