Do you ever struggle with trusting God or His plan for your life? In today’s post, Mandy Johnson is sharing how to overcome doubt in faith with three biblical tips perfect for new and seasoned Christians alike.
“I trust God, but I also have moments of doubt.”
Have you ever felt this way before?
As Christians, we wholeheartedly want to follow Jesus. But we also have our moments of doubt, right? Those moments when life looks different than we planned; the ones that feel confusing, stressful, and downright hard.
Moments when we know what we’re supposed to think, believe, or do. But moments when we honestly struggle to figure out how to overcome doubt and unbelief.
These moments of doubt cause us to wonder if God is up in Heaven having a way-too-long coffee break–forgetting that we’re down here on earth trying to love our husbands well, get dinner on the table, tell bedtime stories, spend time reading the Bible, and also trust that He’s in control of everything under the sun.
We long for evidence of His faithfulness.
And, if we’re being really honest, life can feel flat-out overwhelming at times!
We know God is for us. We know He is good. But our doubts can creep in like fog through a crack if we aren’t careful.
I deeply understand this tug-of-war and want you to know you’re not alone. The good news is, you can learn how to overcome doubt in faith.
We can take great comfort in knowing that no matter how overwhelmed or doubtful we may feel, His holy hands are always at work in our lives. God is worthy of our trust.
Here are 3 ways you can learn how to overcome doubt in faith today.
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How to Overcome Doubt — and Follow God’s Will
Have you felt lost and full of doubt because you don’t know what God wants for your life? Are you looking to dive deeper into God’s will, if only you could figure out what it was?
If so, I’d love for you to check out my brand new book, Follow God’s Will: Biblical Guidelines for Everyday Life, along with the Follow God’s Will companion workbook.
In my book, I share stories from women like you who overcame doubt when they heard, obeyed, and followed God’s will for their lives.
Practical, encouraging, and full of biblical truth, Follow God’s Will is designed to help you answer questions including:
- What does God want me to do?
- How do I apply the Bible’s instructions to my life today?
- Where is God calling me personally?
- How can I make a difference right where I am?
- How should I navigate relationships with those who think, act, or believe differently than I do?
- And so many more!
Want to start reading for free?
Simply enter your first name and email below, and I’ll send you an exclusive “first-peek” right away, right to your inbox!
1. Admit Your Doubts
There have been times in my faith journey I’ve doubted God’s plans and was afraid to admit my doubts to anyone in my inner circle, let alone my heavenly Father. Faithful people don’t have doubts, right?
The truth is, faithful people do have doubts! You’re not alone if you have a question or two (or twelve) for God.
God doesn’t reject you when you admit your hesitations, fears, and questions, then ask Him for answers. It’s okay if you’re still struggling to figure out how to overcome doubt in faith.
You’re His cherished, loved-beyond-belief daughter. No question or doubt you may have can separate you from His love.
And, whether we feel comfortable with this or not, God already knows our thoughts, questions, and doubts without us ever speaking them. As tempting as it is to want to hide, we can’t!
Shame, fear, and guilt don’t have to hold you back from connecting with God. He wants to hear from you. Give yourself permission to be transparent and honest with yourself, others, and most importantly, with your heavenly Father who knows you better than anyone.
You can’t realistically figure out how to overcome doubt in faith if you aren’t first willing to admit that you have these doubts in the first place.
Related Reading: How to Take Every Thought Captive (This is Life Changing!)
2. Ask God to Help You Overcome Doubt
One of my favorite stories from the Bible is of the demon-possessed boy and his father in Mark 9.
Mark 9:21-24 tells us:
“Jesus asked the boy’s father, ‘How long has he been like this?’
‘From childhood,’ he answered. ‘It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.’
‘If you can?’ said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for one who believes.’
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!'”
Can you imagine that scene? Can you imagine if that were your son?
This father was desperate, as most of us would be if we were in his shoes, and had watched his son struggle for years. Now, he truly didn’t know how to overcome doubt in faith. He couldn’t overcome his doubt on his own. He knew He needed Jesus’s help.
But instead of hanging his head low, paralyzed by discouragement and shame because of his doubt, the father responds to Jesus with complete honesty: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
I don’t know about you, but I love this father’s response. We can confess our beliefs and also prayerfully ask for help in our areas of unbelief.
Jesus makes room for both faith and doubts to co-exist.
In the same way Jesus helped the demon-possessed son and his father, He can help strengthen our areas of unbelief when we ask. He wants to help us learn how to overcome doubt and grow in our faith!
Related Reading: The Truth About Worrying (And How to Find Peace)
3. Choose to Trust God’s Character
If God is who He says He is, then we can know He remains steady even when our faith wavers. When we feel empty and low on trust, we can remember these truths from scripture about His character:
- God is love. (1 John 4:8)
- God is light. (1 John 1:5)
- God does not change. (James 1:17)
- His ways are perfect. (Psalm 18:30)
- He is a God of justice. (Psalm 50:6)
- God remains faithful to us. (2 Timothy 2:13)
In my moments of doubt, these Scriptures help me focus on God’s unshakable goodness despite shaky circumstances.
The world will throw us reason after reason to doubt His goodness; all we have to do is turn on the news, right?
But Scripture reminds us that “He does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).
As we learn how to overcome doubt in faith, we can trust and know that in an ever-changing world, we can trust a never-changing God.
Ready to Build Up Your Spiritual Health?
If you’ve struggled with doubt, you may find yourself wondering, What is God’s will for my life? Or maybe you haven’t struggled with doubt quite yet, but you’re not sure if your faith would withstand a test!
One of the best ways to stay spiritually healthy, and to keep the faith during times of doubt, is to practice hearing, obeying, and following God’s will, right now.
If so, I’d love for you to check out my brand new book, Follow God’s Will: Biblical Guidelines for Everyday Life, along with the Follow God’s Will companion workbook.
Practical, encouraging, and full of biblical truth, Follow God’s Will is designed to help you answer questions including:
- What does God want me to do?
- How do I apply the Bible’s instructions to my life today?
- Where is God calling me personally?
- How can I make a difference right where I am?
- How should I navigate relationships with those who think, act, or believe differently than I do?
- And so many more!
Want to start reading for free?
Simply enter your first name and email below, and I’ll send you an exclusive “first-peek” right away, right to your inbox!
Related Reading: 10 Bible Verses About Trusting God in Difficult Times
Do you struggle to figure out how to overcome doubt in faith? What are one or two steps you need to take today to help you overcome doubt?
Mandy Johnson is a writer and speaker with a passion for encouraging women in their faith. When she’s not changing diapers or folding onesies for her little guy Luke, she’s sitting at her kitchen table with a pen in her hand or a keyboard at her fingertips. And coffee, lots of coffee.
Mandy has had her work published by Proverbs 31 Ministries, Daughter of Delight, and the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes). Her big, scary dream is to write and publish books, and she’s working each day to have one in your hands soon.
hi im mark raffy lactaotao from philipines im just a new christian but , suddenly i asked how god exist who's creating god if he create world , i dont want to be an agnostic or atheist but i want to be christian and take the eternal life in heaven but i always feel there's something wrong when i obey god's commandments i always doubt , i always feel there's something wrong i know no one can answer how god exist or who's creating god or what etc . or circle can have a corner or , i know god design things cannot be change for his own reason but i want to lose my doubt i know he's true and i need to be faithful to god becuase i know he created this whole world . please help me i want to overcome this i dont want to be agnostic or atheist i want to be a servan of god until my last breath .
It sounds like you are struggling with some doubt which is normal, especially as a new Christian. Some ideas on how to help with this is to take your doubts, concerns and fears to God and lay it all out before Him. Continue to read your Bible to hear from God.