I don’t know of any Christian who has not, at some point, questioned the existence of God. It may only be for a brief moment, but at some point, we all are subjected to the enemy’s deception. At some point, we all feel as though God has either forgotten about us or he simply isn’t present in our life.
We all have doubts. It’s the nature of the world we live in. For many of us, most of what we see playing out in our daily life is a distraction from God. If you’re not working for a faith-based employer, or attending a faith-based school of some sort, you’re likely spending your day with many people who have turned their back on God. We are also bombarded by a predominately secular point of view in the media, on the Internet, and in all forms of entertainment. If we want a Christian point of view or perspective, we have to go looking for it buried underneath an avalanche of contrary indoctrination. Yes, we can become indoctrinated into the secular culture if we are not careful. This subtle indoctrination can slowly seep into our minds and cause doubt.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2
Doubt can also grow out of what we perceive to be unanswered prayer. When we repeatedly pray for something that never materializes, it can feel as though we have been forgotten by God. Of course, the simple truth is that God may have other plans for us that don’t follow the exact path of our prayer. God’s will always takes precedence over our specific plans.
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
Identifying God in our life is not always easy. The first step is always going to be a deeper study of the Bible. There is only one way to truly know God and that is in the pages of the Bible. Next, we need to know ourselves; not who we want to be, but our true selves. We were all created by God. God created us for specific reasons. Those things that we do well, those things that we have a talent for, are indications of God’s plan for our life. When we take what God has given us and exercise those skills with love in our heart, we are pointed in the right direction.
Once we are certain we are traveling along the right path, there is no question we will see God working in our lives. When we see God working, our doubts will fade away. When we see God working, we will be encouraged to do even more on his behalf.
“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:24
God wants us to be self-sufficient. This is why he’s left us here on our own. Our mission is to develop the skills to identify evil and pursue good. When we act out of the love in our heart, we are in the presence of God. When we experience love coming from others, we are in the presence of God. When unexpected blessings flow our way, we are experiencing God at work in our lives. When unexpected opportunities appear out of nowhere, we are experiencing God at work in our lives.
I know God is at work in all of our lives every day. Something we all can do to combat any doubt, is spend a few days making a list of all the times we experience God. List the love we feel for others, list the love we receive from others, list all of our blessings, and list all of the doors that were opened by God. When we aggressively pursue our relationship with God there will be no room left for doubt.
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