When doubting wins, everyone loses.
Doubting God means you won’t get rewarded for obeying Him (loss).
It means you won’t get to see how God is going to use you (loss).
It means whoever God was going to use you to help, now won’t get help (loss) at least not right now.
Worst of all, it means you let satan get the best of you. You let satan keep you from following your Father (fail).
When doubting wins, everyone loses.
“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1: 6-7
Back in October at training camp we prayed over each other and listened for a word from God to tell them. Initially, I thought “yeah, that’s not going to happen” (doubt), of course I didn’t really have a choice. So instead of trying to listen, I shut down. My head was filled with thoughts like “God doesn’t talk to me,” (doubt) “I don’t know what I’m doing,” (doubt) “everyone else hears something, why the flip don’t I?” (doubt) “I can’t do this.” (doubt)… And guess what? I couldn’t do it. My head was so filled with nonsense and lies that I couldn’t hear my Father talking to me.
Then launch came along and during worship the last night, one of my squad mates, Becca, said she had a word from God for me. No one has ever said that to me before and it was so crazy! What she said was something that has been on my heart for a while and something amazing to hear. Unfortunately, right after she said it I thought “I wish I could get a word from God” (doubt). Then after worship they asked us to listen for a word from God for the person next to us. My immediate thought was “really? They want me to do something I can’t do for the person who just had a word for me?” (doubt). But then I stopped. I stopped thinking. I stopped doubting. And then I heard a word. Just one single word, over and over. But then doubt crept back in and I shut down. I told her I couldn’t do it and didn’t ever hear anything (doubt). So we just sat down and she prayed over me.
The next day I kept hearing that word and thinking about Becca. Then I realized that God might actually have been talking to me. So I had two options: tell Becca or don’t and four possible outcomes:
1. If I don’t tell her and it means nothing then nothing is lost and I won’t feel dumb.
2. If I don’t tell her and it means something then I missed an opportunity to be used by God and she might need to hear that.
3. If I tell her and it means nothing then I won’t feel dumb.
4. If I tell her and it means something then I know God was talking to me and it could positively impact her walk with God.
Well, Becca and I ended up sitting next to each other on our four hour bus ride (typical God making things happen) and since number 3 seemed like the lamest of the four outcomes and number 4 seemed like the best, I decided I had to tell her. I had some disclaimers before I told her (a little bit of doubt) but then I said the word, and it meant something to her. It was actually something that has been on her heart for a while (crazy). God did talk to me. All I had to do was listen.
Why would I ever think God wouldn’t talk to His daughter? That’s absurd. It’s still a weird concept to me, actively listening and hearing God, but I no matter what I hear, I can’t doubt. I can’t let doubt win.
When Jesus walked on water out to His disciples, Peter began walking to Him…“But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ He said, ‘why did you doubt?’” Matthew 14: 30-31
