When Faith Wavers: Finding Strength in Times of Doubt

Have you ever found yourself wondering if your spiritual beliefs can withstand life's challenges? If so, you're not alone. Today, I want to share some insights that might help you navigate your own journey with doubt.

Let me start with a confession: I doubt things all the time. I doubt whether I made the right career choice. I doubt if I'm being a good enough partner or friend. And yes, sometimes I doubt aspects of my faith.

Doubt isn't the opposite of faith—it's part of being human. A good working definition of doubt is "to call into question the truth of, to lack confidence in, or to consider unlikely." Sound familiar?

When life gets messy (and when doesn't it?), doubts can creep in:

• "Why is life so hard right now?"
• "Does God exist, and if so, is He good?"
• "Can I really trust that there's a purpose to all this?"

These questions don't mean your faith is broken—they mean you're processing life honestly.

One of the most powerful images for me when dealing with doubt is the contrast between mountaintop faith and valley doubt. There is a story in Mark 9 where Jesus and three of His disciples had this incredible spiritual experience on a mountain (called the Transfiguration). Jesus literally glowed with divine light, and they heard God's voice saying, "This is my beloved Son, listen to him."

Talk about a spiritual high! No doubt in that moment.

But then they came down the mountain and found the other disciples struggling to help a desperate father whose son was suffering terribly. The disciples couldn't help, and doubt had set in.

Sound familiar? We have these moments of clarity—maybe during a beautiful sunset or when something miraculously works out—and faith feels easy. Then life happens: the car breaks down, a relationship falls apart, health concerns arise, and suddenly, that crystal-clear faith seems foggy at best.

The most relatable part of this Bible story might be the father's response when Jesus tells him that "anything is possible if a person believes." The father instantly cries out: "I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24)

I love this prayer because it's so honest. It acknowledges both faith and doubt existing side by side. It doesn't pretend that all doubt has vanished, but it reaches out for help with that doubt.

This father's prayer gives us permission to be honest about where we are. You don't have to have perfect faith to approach God. In fact, Jesus only requires a small amount of faith—faith the size of a mustard seed, as he says elsewhere.

I have found that there tend to be five main sources of doubt in our lives:

1. Difficult circumstances: When life throws curveballs, it's natural to question. One time both of our family cars broke down in the same day—one had to be towed, and the other died in the parking lot at work. In those moments, doubts creep in: "God, where are you? Why is this happening?"
2. Intellectual arguments: Sometimes we hear challenging questions or arguments that plant seeds of doubt. Is Christianity intellectually sound? Can faith and science coexist? These are valid questions.
3. Imperfect Christians: Perhaps you've been hurt by someone who claimed to follow Christ but whose actions said otherwise. Or maybe you've read about scandals in churches. It's easy to let imperfect people keep us from exploring a relationship with a perfect Savior.
4. Spiritual dryness: Sometimes we just go through seasons where God feels distant. Even King David, described as a man after God's own heart, wrote in Psalm 13:1, "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?"
5. Recurring sin: When we find ourselves falling into the same patterns, we might doubt God's power to transform us or question our own sincerity.

The good news is that doubt doesn't have to be our permanent residence. The message emphasized two essential tools for moving through doubt:

It's hard to trust a stranger, right? The Bible gives us a way to know God—His character, faithfulness, and goodness. Romans 15:4 tells us, "For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

Reading about how God has shown up for others throughout history can give us hope that He'll show up for us, too.

The second tool—and what I want to focus on—is prayer. Prayer connects us to God's power. I will use a slightly imperfect analogy to help my point: We're like AAA batteries (small, limited power), and God is like a nuclear power plant (unlimited power). Prayer is how we plug into that power source.

When challenging circumstances cause doubt, prayer helps us connect to God's power. When intellectual arguments cause doubt, prayer reminds us of God's presence. When imperfect Christians cause doubt, prayer enables us to look past them to God's Son. When spiritual dryness causes doubt, prayer allows us to hear God's voice. When recurring sins cause doubt, prayer reminds us of God's mercy and grace.

What I appreciate most about the Bible is its honesty about human struggle. The desperate father in Mark 9 gives us a perfect prayer for times of doubt: "I believe; help my unbelief!"

This simple prayer acknowledges:

• The faith we do have (even if it's small)
• The doubt we're experiencing
• Our need for help beyond ourselves

It's honest. It's humble. And it's a prayer God loves to answer.

Satan wants to use doubt as a wedge between us and God. When we're struggling, Satan wants us to pull away, to stop praying, to disconnect from the very source of power we need.

But God's invitation is different. He doesn't expect us to figure everything out or have perfect faith before we come to Him. He meets us in our questions, our struggles, our doubts.

Remember, Jesus didn't rebuke the father for his honest admission of partial faith and partial doubt. Instead, He healed his son.

I will also touch on something I found helpful—the sources of trouble in our lives:

1. Sometimes trouble comes from our own poor choices and mistakes
2. Sometimes it comes from our sin
3. Sometimes it's the result of living in a broken world (the curse)
4. Sometimes Satan brings trouble
5. Sometimes God allows or even causes difficulty for purposes of growth, discipline, or judgment

Understanding these different sources can help us process our circumstances with more clarity and less unnecessary doubt.

When we're struggling with recurring sin and the doubt it brings, it helps to understand three key concepts:

• Justice: Getting what we deserve
• Mercy: Not getting what we deserve
• Grace: Getting what we don't deserve

A Christ follower is a sinner saved by grace through faith. None of us manages perfect behavior, but Romans 8:1 reminds us, "There is now no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus."

If you're navigating doubt in your spiritual journey, you're not alone. Our church community is a place where questions are welcome, where authentic faith includes honest doubt, and where we journey together toward deeper trust.

This Sunday, why not join us at Hope Church at 9:30am and 11:00am? You don't need to have everything figured out. You don't need perfect faith. You just need to come as you are—questions, doubts, and all.

Because the truth is, unshakable faith isn't built on never doubting—it's built on bringing our doubts to the One who is greater than our doubts.
See you Sunday.