Doubt

The past few days I’ve thought a lot about doubt and what it can do in a relationship. This applies to romantic relationships (marriage/dating), friends, parent/child, teacher/student, boss/employee…just about any scenario where two or more are involved can be affected when the seed of uncertainty is planted.

It can start with something so insignificant that you aren’t even aware the process has begun. What about when your best friend mentions they don’t approve of your boyfriend that you are completely in love with. You might want to believe it doesn’t matter what their opinion is, but ultimately you’ll start to question their reasons and wonder if you could be missing something yourself.

Possibly a parent might ask if you did your best on an assignment you’ve finished. Maybe you worked hard on it for days and felt like it was a masterpiece until this harmless question was posed. Now you could start to doubt whether or not to should turn it in or start over. The inquiry may have been completely innocent though it somehow turned into a situation where you begin to feel inadequate and like you’ve disappointed someone.

When your boss asks if you know how to do a specific task, does it seem like you are being looked down upon or that they don’t have enough confidence in you? Do you then second guess yourself and the ability to perform your responsibilities? Is it necessary that you receive praise from your supervisor to feel secure and does a lack of appreciation begin to cause uncertainty?

As you begin the climb up a mountain and you experience that awful burning sensation in your legs…do you instantly doubt you’ll make it to the top? How much more does it take before you lose confidence and throw in the towel?

I’m not usually the wife who asks if the pants I’m wearing make my butt look big (lol), but if I ask the hubby how my blog sounds and he hesitates ‘ever’ so slightly…I automatically assume something isn’t right and wonder what I need to change or fix. Even when he says it sounds ‘fine’ or ‘good’ I start to think he doesn’t like it when the complete opposite may be true.

Matthew 14:31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Why is it so easy to doubt our own abilities? Today I watched my two year old niece playing with puzzles. She’s really good at them and moved from one to the next never doubting she could put them together. Then later we went outside where she started to run in circles on the patio and I became worried she’d fall and told her to be careful. She instantly stopped in her tracks and I realized I’d placed a seed of doubt in her mind. Fortunately it only lasted a moment (2 yr olds forget fast) and she began running full tilt once again.

In our relationship with God we often feel like we aren’t good enough and we don’t deserve His forgiveness and love. We can quickly become discouraged when we witness other Christians that seem to eat and breathe their faith. They may be able to reach others without ever trying and regularly know God is speaking to them, guiding them in the direction He wants them to follow. This can be discouraging for some of us as we struggle to ‘hear’ and don’t know which path He wants us to take.

When doubt strikes (and it will) I think approaching it like my niece would is the best possible solution. Believe you can do whatever you’re about to attempt…when doubt clouds your mind let it exit as quickly as it entered before that seed has a chance to grow…because once it does the damage is done…to put it simply…don’t let doubt begin to sprout!

2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Tagged as: Despair, Doubt, Friendship, Grace, Marriage