It often happens after a great spiritual victory. You have seen the Lord work. You have enjoyed serving him and then Bam! Life hits you hard. Sin and its effects become very real to you.
The car breaks down. Things around the house stop working. Your spouse is angry with you. You get sick. Your friends don't understand why you don't join in with them in sinful pursuits anymore. Things at work are going sideways. Its like everything bad is happening all at once.
Satan knows how to tempt you so that even things long settled in your mind can be shaken.
During suffering, we are tempted to doubt. Even the best have doubts. They struggle to let go of past sin, to forgive others and to hold fast when hard times hit. Even the disciples who saw Jesus do miracles doubted at times.
The question is not whether you will have moments of weakness but what you do with those moments. There are two things you can do with doubt.
1. You can turn away from Christ in doubt. You can become a skeptic, a scoffer, and a critic. You can let bitterness make you discount everything.
I have counseled some who have struggled with doubts about the faith. And every question they have is easily answered by scripture and yet with every answer there is a new question. There is no desire to actually trust the truth but a desire to pick everything apart. There is no satisfaction but only a doubting away from Christ.
Most of the time I have discovered its not an intellectual issue but rather a sin that is being nurtured and protected. The intellectual questions are only a cover for anger at God or some sin that is being treasured.
You can let sin drive you from Christ but there is no hope there. There is no true joy found apart from Him.
2. You can doubt toward Jesus. The direction you doubt matters. If you go to him during suffering, you will find comfort.
When you turn to Christ, you will be reminded of who He is, what He has done, and what He has said. The greatest help with doubt is memory.
We must remember. The Bible says the word remember 227 times. Over and again, God’s people are called to remember. They are to remember the works and promises of God.
Remember His work as creator. Think of how silly it is to say there is no creator God. How silly it is to believe that a long time ago there was nothing and then nothing happened to the nothing and suddenly everything came into being from it. Think of how foolish it is to deny the creator. To reject him, leaves you without a basis for morality, any meaning to life, and any hope. Remember that God created you and all things for his glory.
Remember His work as sustainer. Remember that God has preserved his people throughout the ages. Whether delivering them through the flood, out of Egypt and slavery, into the land of Cannan, out of the hands of the Philistines, into and out of captivity to the Babylonians, through the rise and fall of empires and all throughout the history of the Church, Christ has kept and will keep his people.
Remember His work as savior. Remember that God the Father sent his Eternal Son, who took on flesh. God became man and dwelt on earth. He performed miracles. He healed the sick. He fed many. He patiently bore suffering. He was lied about. He was spit on. He was mocked. He was beaten. He was nailed naked and shamed on a cross. He took on your sins. He was buried. He rose again and was seen by more than 500 people. The resurrection of Christ is one of the most well attested events in history. The Church was established through the resurrection and has been upheld by it.
Remember His work in your own life. Remember how He has been with you through every aspect of your life. When you suffered difficult pain and loss, He was there. He brought you through it. When you needed help and had no where to turn, look at how He provided. When you were dead in your sins, remember how He brought you to life. Remember how you have had so much joy in Him. Remember how he forgives you.
Remember His Work of Future Deliverance: Remember His promises in His word. He reigns right now. He is placing his enemies under His feet. He will return to defeat death. There will be no more sin. There will be no more suffering. There will be endless joy. There will be a feast by which any other feast will have been ashamed to even had been called a feast. There will be peace. There your faith will be turned to sight. Your hope will be made real. Love will abound for eternity.
Therefore, when suffering happens, when you are depressed and discouraged, turn to Jesus with your doubts. Take them to him.
Cry out "I believe help my unbelief."
The car breaks down. Things around the house stop working. Your spouse is angry with you. You get sick. Your friends don't understand why you don't join in with them in sinful pursuits anymore. Things at work are going sideways. Its like everything bad is happening all at once.
Satan knows how to tempt you so that even things long settled in your mind can be shaken.
During suffering, we are tempted to doubt. Even the best have doubts. They struggle to let go of past sin, to forgive others and to hold fast when hard times hit. Even the disciples who saw Jesus do miracles doubted at times.
The question is not whether you will have moments of weakness but what you do with those moments. There are two things you can do with doubt.
1. You can turn away from Christ in doubt. You can become a skeptic, a scoffer, and a critic. You can let bitterness make you discount everything.
I have counseled some who have struggled with doubts about the faith. And every question they have is easily answered by scripture and yet with every answer there is a new question. There is no desire to actually trust the truth but a desire to pick everything apart. There is no satisfaction but only a doubting away from Christ.
Most of the time I have discovered its not an intellectual issue but rather a sin that is being nurtured and protected. The intellectual questions are only a cover for anger at God or some sin that is being treasured.
You can let sin drive you from Christ but there is no hope there. There is no true joy found apart from Him.
2. You can doubt toward Jesus. The direction you doubt matters. If you go to him during suffering, you will find comfort.
When you turn to Christ, you will be reminded of who He is, what He has done, and what He has said. The greatest help with doubt is memory.
We must remember. The Bible says the word remember 227 times. Over and again, God’s people are called to remember. They are to remember the works and promises of God.
Remember His work as creator. Think of how silly it is to say there is no creator God. How silly it is to believe that a long time ago there was nothing and then nothing happened to the nothing and suddenly everything came into being from it. Think of how foolish it is to deny the creator. To reject him, leaves you without a basis for morality, any meaning to life, and any hope. Remember that God created you and all things for his glory.
Remember His work as sustainer. Remember that God has preserved his people throughout the ages. Whether delivering them through the flood, out of Egypt and slavery, into the land of Cannan, out of the hands of the Philistines, into and out of captivity to the Babylonians, through the rise and fall of empires and all throughout the history of the Church, Christ has kept and will keep his people.
Remember His work as savior. Remember that God the Father sent his Eternal Son, who took on flesh. God became man and dwelt on earth. He performed miracles. He healed the sick. He fed many. He patiently bore suffering. He was lied about. He was spit on. He was mocked. He was beaten. He was nailed naked and shamed on a cross. He took on your sins. He was buried. He rose again and was seen by more than 500 people. The resurrection of Christ is one of the most well attested events in history. The Church was established through the resurrection and has been upheld by it.
Remember His work in your own life. Remember how He has been with you through every aspect of your life. When you suffered difficult pain and loss, He was there. He brought you through it. When you needed help and had no where to turn, look at how He provided. When you were dead in your sins, remember how He brought you to life. Remember how you have had so much joy in Him. Remember how he forgives you.
Remember His Work of Future Deliverance: Remember His promises in His word. He reigns right now. He is placing his enemies under His feet. He will return to defeat death. There will be no more sin. There will be no more suffering. There will be endless joy. There will be a feast by which any other feast will have been ashamed to even had been called a feast. There will be peace. There your faith will be turned to sight. Your hope will be made real. Love will abound for eternity.
Therefore, when suffering happens, when you are depressed and discouraged, turn to Jesus with your doubts. Take them to him.
Cry out "I believe help my unbelief."