Doubting God: 5 Ways to Work Through Your Doubts
Doubting God is part of living apart from him on a fallen earth. It’s not wrong to have doubts about our faith, but the way we react to our doubts is important. Today, we’ll discuss five ways to find truth when we doubt God.
Also, be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you connect with God in fresh and renewing ways.
Doubting God: 5 Ways to Respond
“Mom, I’ve been having trouble believing God,” our six-year-old son recently admitted to me as we lay on his bed one evening. He wants to be a pastor when he grows up, and he seemed almost embarrassed that he was doubting God.
“We all deal with that at times,” I reassured him. “Do you want to tell me about it?”
“Well, a few weeks ago in Sunday school, I was thinking about Jonah. How could anybody survive inside a giant fish for three days? It feels like someone made that story up,” he admitted.
“I agree,” I affirmed. “Some stories in the Bible are hard to believe. When we read those stories, we need God to help us understand them. We need him to help us with our doubts.”
“But how?” he asked.
We spent a while talking about what to do when we doubt God. At the end of our conversation, we hadn’t solved the issue of doubt, but little Aiden felt more confident, grounded in his growing faith.
Responses When Doubting God
I’ve been thinking about our conversation since that evening.
I’m thankful our son was honest enough to admit that he was doubting God. One of the greatest mistakes we can make, at any age, when dealing with doubt is to hide our doubts in shame.
Most of us don’t feel comfortable admitting that we’re doubting God’s Word or his existence. But if we remain silent, our doubts remain unresolved. Even worse, they can grow and spread, eventually leading us to turn away from God.
Rather than turning away from him in doubt, God invites us to turn toward him. He holds the answers to our questions, and he is not angry about our doubts.
Rather than turning away from him in doubt, God invites us to turn toward him. He holds the answers to our questions, and he is not angry about our doubts. #faith #trust #doubt Share on XLet’s look at five practical ways to deal with our doubts by turning toward God.
1. When we’re doubting God, we admit it to ourselves and to God.
The first step for dealing with doubt is admitting that the thoughts exist. Doubting God’s Word or even his existence is not sinful; it is a natural part of the growth process.
We mature in our faith by bringing our doubts into the light and seeking answers.
It is human nature to hide our doubts, feeling embarrassed or ashamed. As we all know, burying thoughts will never help us work through or resolve them.
I’m repeating this point because it is important: God is not angry at you for experiencing doubts. Jesus was consistently patient and kind toward those who doubted.
He invited Thomas to draw near and see his wounds after he was resurrected. Throughout his life, he invited all doubters to come close, and he was patient with them.
When Peter boldly began walking on the water toward Jesus, he suddenly saw the waves and began to sink. Jesus didn’t condemn him for doubting. He immediately reached out and pulled Peter from the water.
This leads to our second point.
2. When we are doubting God, we ask Jesus to reveal himself to us.
Peter was frightened. His focus shifted from Jesus’ face to the threatening waves. He started to think about sinking.
We are much the same. We set out on faith-filled endeavors with our eyes on Jesus. But when the business fails, the ministry meets resistance, the job falls apart, or troubles arise, our attention shifts. We stop looking at Jesus and focus on the obstacles in front of us.
We begin to doubt whether God ever even called us to step out in faith. Questions arise in our minds: Did I miss God’s voice? Was this my idea, not God’s? How could I have been so far off?
These are helpful questions to consider. However, we need to be careful not to spiral into unhealthy, cyclic thoughts as we try to make sense of our circumstances. Some circumstances cannot be sorted out in our finite minds.
More than anything, whether we are doubting God’s guidance, God’s existence, or God’s Word, we need to encounter Jesus.
An encounter with the Living God will silence our doubts. For Peter, this happened when Jesus reached out and pulled him from the water.
In our circumstances, encountering Jesus often happens as we pray and seek him for direction. He can miraculously confirm his direction for us by giving us the deep sense of knowing what to do.
He might whisper an affirming truth to our spirits or illuminate a Bible verse so that it clicks, resonating deeply. At other times, he might change our circumstances to reveal his hand and his direction.
Doubting God’s Existence
When doubting God’s existence, an encounter with Jesus can transform our doubt to faith as well.
This can play itself out in a myriad of ways: a whisper that says, I love you so much; a confirming Word from Scripture; a conversation with someone else; a powerful moment during worship; a glorious sunrise in which God seems to be present; or a miracle that we could not have orchestrated apart from God.
Ultimately, the cure for doubt is always an encounter with the Living God.
3. When doubting God, we pray through our doubts.
We should also pray for God to help us in our doubts. When we discover Bible passages that seem outlandish or hard to believe, we should ask God to help us receive his truth.
This is a prayer God wants to answer.
4. When we are doubting God, we share our doubts with strong believers.
Just as our little boy grew in his faith by sharing his doubts with me, we grow when we work through our doubts with others.
We need each other. We all need relationships with strong believers who can help us work through our doubts. Bringing our questions to these people helps us work through them.
I have a handful of wise friends who speak truth to me when I wrestle with doubts. I am grateful for the safe space these friends provide and the truth they speak into my life.
If you don’t have any wise, safe people who can help you sort through your doubts, ask God to lead you to some. Joining a Bible study can be a great way to make these connections, particularly as we seek relationships with older believers.
5. When we doubt God, we keep pressing forward.
Satan’s primary goal is to convince you to turn away from God. One of his tactics is to plant seeds of doubt.
In his first assault against humanity, Satan led Eve to doubt God by asking, “Did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden?”
He then led her to doubt God’s care and goodness: “God knew you would become like him if you ate from the tree. He’s holding out on you!”
Satan speaks these same lies to us today:
“God doesn’t really want what’s best for you!”
“God is withholding blessings from you.”
“These Bible stories are all made up.”
“You can’t trust God; you can only trust yourself.”
Learning to recognize these lies and combat them with the truth is essential for overcoming doubt.
Stand on Truth
Here are some truths to stand against the lies above:
“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless” (Ps. 84:11, NIV).
“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16).
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Prov. 3:5-6).
Over time, by choosing to stand on God’s Truth instead of our emotions, we will experience God’s presence and power in our lives.
Final Thoughts on Overcoming Doubt
If you’re doubting God today, here are some final insights.
Rather than turning away from God in doubt, bring your questions to him.
Seek truth from his Word. Ask God to help you trust him. Name your doubts and deal with them. Over time, God will reveal himself to you. Your faith will grow stronger than your doubts.
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If these reflections encouraged you, I invite you to explore our one-of-a-kind devotional books and free eBooks below.
Calling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
A Free Devotional to Help You Connect With God
God is a good Father, and he wants us to experience his healing, deliverance, and replenishment. Most of us have learned that we cannot heal, deliver, or refresh ourselves; we need God to do this work within us. I invite you to create space for God to transform your life by downloading a free copy of my devotional eBook, The Lean Into Grace Devotional: An 8-Day Devotional for Healing, Deliverance, and Replenishment. Find it for free here. I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here! 
