FAITH OVER DOUBT

“But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” (James 1:6-8).

Often, when facing a difficult choice, immediately after making our decision, we begin to hesitate, doubt, and worry, constantly asking ourselves whether we have done the right thing. We also experience doubt during prayer, questioning whether God hears us and will fulfill our requests. The Holy Scriptures say that in those moments, we are like the waves of the sea tossed and turned by the wind. We are troubled by these doubts, and we hesitate because we are relying on our human wisdom and not on God.

In the original Greek, “doubt,” or the precise translation “doublemindedness” (in Armenian երկմտութիւն), literally means having two minds. Doubt divides us into two different parts and makes us unstable and uncertain in all our steps. It is for this reason that the Scriptures exhort us to seek God’s wisdom and guidance in unequivocal faith before making a decision. And when a decision has already been made, one then ought to place their trust in God and in His fatherly care, looking into the future with hope. Only in this way can we overcome the waves of doubt and dismay. If we believe and trust God, no matter how much the winds of doubt blow, we will not be tossed like waves, but we will be steadfast and strengthened by the Lord.

Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan