OVERCOMING DOUBT

When we face challenges, there’s always that temptation to doubt, to hesitate, to second-guess ourselves. We make decisions, and right afterward, we start asking ourselves, “Did I make the right choice? Is this the right thing to do? Did I hear from God clearly?” And sometimes, even when we pray, we wonder, “Is God really listening? Will He answer me? Can I trust that He will fulfill His promises?”

In the New Testament, the apostle James tells us, “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).

Doubt causes us to be double-minded. We are divided in our hearts and minds, pulled in one direction, and then pulled in another. It’s like being stuck in a storm, never knowing which way to go. And when we live in this kind of doubt, the Apostle says we must not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Why? Because doubt disrupts our faith.

In the original Greek, the word for doubt is “di-psychos,” meaning double-minded (in Armenian երկմտութիւն). It literally means “having two minds”. One moment, we trust God, and the next, we hesitate, doubting His goodness or His ability to answer. This makes us unstable, unsure, and uncertain. It’s a kind of internal tug-of-war, where one side of us says, “I trust God,” but the other side says, “But what if He doesn’t come through?”

It is for this reason that the Holy Scriptures exhort us to seek God’s wisdom and guidance with unwavering faith before making any decision. And once that decision is made, we must place our full trust in God, knowing that He will take care of us as our loving Father. With hope in our hearts, we can look toward the future, confident that God’s plan is unfolding.

Friends, this is the key to overcoming the waves of doubt and uncertainty. When we place our faith in God, we can stand firm no matter how strong the winds of doubt may blow. We are not driven by fear or uncertainty. Instead, we are anchored in His love and truth. And no matter what storms come our way, we will stand firm.

Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan
November 29, 2024