Restoring faith in times of doubt
Being a young adult comes with its challenges. Several things may allude to the many expectations people have of you. I mean, you’ve, hopefully just finished at a tertiary institution of learning and society expects you to have a job, be in a steady relationship (so you should be engaged soon and married thereafter), or be ready to take over the family business.
The truth is, for many people, all of the above may not happen within the timelines that they have set/ that you have set for yourself. In 2016, I vowed that 2017 would be the year when I made my first investment and yet here we are, in 2018 and I still haven’t made that investment because I set that goal without consulting with God first.
I should make clear that at the time, I was living out of Faith; no matter how much I told myself or friends that I was faithful. 2017 came with a multitude of challenges but because I deliberately made the decision to grow spiritual, I learnt to live in Faith , removing myself from the bosom of doubt.
Romans 10: 9–10 calls us to confess faith.
Having Faith in something/ someone means that you trust, relay on, are convicted by or have confidence in that which you do not know. Doubt is the opposite of Faith and where the former is present, the latter is absent.
Amos 3:3 calls us to walk in agreement with God. It is only when we agree to act in line with God that we will receive blessings. We were all put on this earth for a reason and the moment you identify your purpose, it is imperative that you embark on that which you have been called to do. Casting doubt only seeks to slow you down and eventually derail you from that which you are called to do.
Therefore, walking in agreement with God will see Him guiding you more towards that which He has called you to do. The minute you discover this, there is no time to waste and there’s need for you to hit the ground running. Doubt only seeks to push you further and further away from this.
Here are some things that have helped me in times of doubt.
- Find a scripture in the Bible that reminds you of how gracious God is in your life. Mine is Psalm 23: 1- 2
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; he leads me besides quiet waters; he refreshes my soul.”
2. Meditate on the verse and recount all those times that God has come through for you.
3. Assess what has caused you to doubt Him and remind yourself that He is bigger than whatever challenge you are facing because He knows you yesterday, today and tomorrow.
4. Cast your burden at His feet through prayer and get out of the driver seat (no body, even God, likes a back seat driver).
5. Write down the thoughts/ dreams you may have after that prayer.
“…if thou shalt confess with thy
mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that
God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
