Table of Contents
What is Doubt
Matthew 21:21 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
Many believers have struggled with doubt at some point in their life. One might ask, how do we combat it? Perhaps, it would be good to understand what the word means and its implications.
In the Greek, doubt (Strong’s number 1252, DIAKRINO) is a compound word, derived from DIA (1223), denoting separation, and KRINO (2919), which means to distinguish, decide or judge.
When combined, it means to separate thoroughly or completely. It also means to withdraw, oppose, and figuratively, discriminate (decide). Reflexively, to hesitate. In the middle voice, it means to separate oneself. It can also mean to separate, make a distinction, discriminate, or to prefer.
Interestingly, this word is also various renderings in other passages of Scripture: contend; make (to) differ (-ence); discern; judge; be partial; stagger, and waver.
In context with our verse, it means to mean to be in strife or variance with oneself; hesitation, or to put into question. It carries the idea separating one’s self in a hostile spirit; to oppose; strive with dispute, or to contend. Basically, this doubt is the result of calling things into question, by which one almost opposes faith, or separates oneself from it.
Yes, it involves overthinking things, and yet, there can be intention behind it, in which one errs on the side of doubt. That is, one calls everything into question. Some of which may be the result of some sort of trauma.
For instance, some have grown up in households where lying is common place. How many came from a life of dysfunction in which those they were supposed to trust the most, let them down the most? As a result, everything and everyone is subject to scrutiny in the harshest sense of the word. If that’s you, remember, you were born again into a family of Truth! It’s impossible for God to lie, and that means ABBA, Jesus and Holy Spirit do not lie!
You Choose
Here’s the bottom line: you have a choice to believe or to doubt. You can decide to allow Holy Spirit to give you the discernment of what is true. Study Scripture to see if principles are true. The idea is not to disprove anything; rather, it is to find the truth of the matter. When truth is revealed, anything false will be evident and have no place in your life. Doubt will not be a consideration, because truth always obliterates it, along with confusion.
Receive His Love
For some, the issue is a matter of trust. They don’t completely trust God, so they tend to be doubtful. Why don’t they trust Him? They simply don’t believe He actually loves them. They ignore the evidence, because it doesn’t fit their lifelong, inner narrative that says they’re not loveable. If you are in that camp, your homework assignment is to search the Bible, and see what the Word actually says about it.
We know perfect love casts out fear. It also eliminates doubt. Love embraces truth, and when you embrace love, you find faith. Faith works by love!
