Just a doubtin mind

Well I'm back as I promised I would be! Another crazy week is over. I'm hoping it will start getting back to normal so that I'll be able to come chat with you more like I used to!

 

 

Well after this crazy week, I woke up this morning in a lot of pain so I wasn't able to make it to church today, however, I watched a sermon on TV and on webcast. I figured I'd share with you what I learned!

 

Do you ever catch yourself doubting? Maybe you doubt yourself or maybe you doubt God? I'm not afraid to say that I'm guilty of both. I'm human and I face trials...I think it's safe to saay that you can agree. Doubt can creep into my mind and create a distance between me and God. That's not a good thing, but it can be overcome.

 

In the first sermon I heard, the pastor explained that we can be held responsible for that doubt for 3 reasons.

 

1. When we are unfaithful and are separated from the light (God). We place ourselves in darkness. For instance, we find ourselves in sin and don't do anything about it, except stay in it. Sin can create doubt because it can separate us from God. Now we will never be sinless (because we are human and imperfect...only Jesus is perfect), but we should try our best to stray from sin.
2. When we respond negatively to situations. It's always ideal to find the positive in everything. This may be easier for some people and harder for others. The situation may make it extremely hard to respond positively, but when we let negativity rule, doubt in God is sure to follow.
3. When we need tangible proof. Thomas, one of the apostles, desperately wanted tangible proof of Jesus' resurrection. When the other apostles had told them that Jesus had been resurrected, Thomas responded, "Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe" (John 20:25). A few days later, Thomas and Jesus were reunited and Jesus said to him, "Reach here with your finger and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing" (John 20:27). Thomas replied ,"My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28). Jesus then said, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed" (John 20:29). When we need tangible proof, doubt can creep in, when really faith should creep in. Paul says, "while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18). Don't demand sensual truth. Be obedient in faith.

So when you are start doubting, don't beat yourself up, but turn to the truth. Ask God to remove that doubt, increase your faithfulness, and respond with positivity.

Since I haven't been consistently posting, I figured I'd let you know where we are in the year long reading plan. We should be caught up to Exodus 18. I'm sorry that I haven't been reminding you of the plan, but I'm going to try harder to be more consistent!