Engaging with God in Our Doubt

Transcript:

Hello, this is Ryan Bouton, Campus Pastor of The Quechee Church of Quechee, VT. The Quechee Church is a ministry of Christ Redeemer Church of Hanover, NH. This is a part of a special-edition series of “The Kingdom Perspective.”

In our recent sermon series we saw how Habakkuk tackles the thorny issues of having faith in God while asking questions that seem to doubt him. In times of trouble, we may be tempted to pull back and avoid God because of our worries and doubts; however, we should not be afraid to be honest with God about who we are and what we are concerned about. As the apostle Paul also encourages us, we strive to “not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). It is essential that we keep the lines of communication open with God, and learn to humbly trust in him.

At the same time, doubt does become dangerous when we stop listening to God’s word, because then doubt becomes the final word. How does that happen? Doubts are actually alternative beliefs, a growing sense that something or someone else is more trustworthy than what you already believed. This means that your doubts have to be examined, too! Otherwise, they grow as unexamined beliefs, undermining your confidence without reason. In reality, what we think is true is often mixed with error, because of our corrupt human condition. Communication with God, as difficult as it may be, allows us and our never-perfect beliefs to be examined and corrected, leading us to both humility and confidence.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.