Have you ever wondered why God allows bad things to happen, especially to Christians? If God is really in control, why is there so much evil in the world? Can he even hear our prayers? Is God even real? If I have these doubts, am I even really a Christian? Is doubting God a sin?
If you’re worried that you are alone in doubting, rest assured, you’re not the only one. Doubt is a natural part of the spiritual journey. Doubting God isn’t a sin, but it’s important to understand how doubt affects your faith.
Doubt vs. unbelief
The Bible makes it clear that there is a difference between doubt and unbelief. Both stem from questions and uncertainties—the difference lies in how we handle them:
- Unbelief tries to answer our questions on our own. Doubt takes them to God.
- Unbelief eventually stops questioning. Doubt stays curious.
- Unbelief becomes content with mistrust in God. Doubt keeps trusting.
When wrestling with doubt, some people quote James 1:6-7, which says, "But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea...Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.”
Unbelief and doubt ultimately depend on the posture of your heart. James isn’t saying you should never doubt, but the way you work through those doubts will determine whether or not they take root as permanent unbelief. Doubting God is not a sin—unbelief is.
People in the Bible wrestled with doubt.
Have you ever heard of the term “Doubting Thomas”? The term was coined for the disciple who at first did not believe Jesus had been resurrected from the dead. If you’re not familiar with the story, Thomas was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. When Jesus was resurrected, and the other disciples told Thomas about it, he didn’t believe them. He demanded proof, saying, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”
Over a week went by before Jesus showed up, live and in person, and showed Thomas the proof of his wounds and told him, “Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” (John 20:24-29)
Thomas wasn’t the first person in the Bible to show doubt. In the Old Testament, Gideon also asked God for proof. Unsure that God would rescue him from his enemies, Gideon laid out a fleece and asked God to make it wet with dew while keeping the ground around it dry. The next morning, this was exactly what happened. Still doubting, Gideon reversed the test the next night—this time asking for the fleece to stay dry while the ground was wet. Again, God responded, laying Gideon’s doubts to rest. (Judges 6:36-40)
God understands your doubts
Stories like these remind us that God doesn’t condemn doubt. As his creations, God knows us inside and out, our innermost longings and fears. He recognizes that there will be times, especially when we are emotionally wounded, that we are inclined to doubt him and his word. But as Psalm 34:18 reminds us, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed."
When we doubt, it doesn’t mean we need to stop talking to God. In the middle of your doubts, that’s the best time to start asking God if what he says is true.
The danger of dwelling in doubt
As we’ve seen, there is a difference between doubt and unbelief. Doubt can often be what drives you to deeper faith—it’s when we let ourselves stay trapped in our doubt that it can become unbelief. To process doubt in a way that builds your faith, you need to keep moving through your doubt. Bring God your questions and ask him to help you find your way through to the other side.
There’s another story in the Bible that gives us an example of bringing doubts to God:
Mark 9 tells the story of a man who had a demon-possessed son. The man asked Jesus to cast the demons out…if he could. Jesus replied, “What do you mean, ‘If I can’? Anything is possible if a person believes.”
The man cried out in response, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”
There was no shame in this request. The man wanted to believe, and Jesus understood the uncertainty the man faced. He had sympathy for the situation with his son and was able to eliminate his doubts by casting out the demon.
God’s mercy and love can handle your doubt. You only need to ask him for help with your unbelief.. It’s when you don’t that you run the risk of a hardened heart or a lack of trust in God. Like Hebrews 3:12 warns, "Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God."
Moving forward with faith
Faith is a process, and doubts are part of the journey. But even a little faith can go a long way.
In Matthew 17:20, Jesus shared how the smallest bit of faith can work miracles: “You don’t have enough faith," Jesus told them. "I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible."
While it’s natural to doubt at times, we also have a personal responsibility to keep working through our doubts. More than anything, God wants a personal relationship with you, and the healthiest relationships are those where there is honesty and trust. Don’t stay stuck in your doubt. Open up your mind and heart and start a conversation with God about how to move past your doubts.
-----
If you’re ready to start tackling your doubts, start here! We’ve compiled some resources to help you process and use doubt as a building block for deeper faith:
What Influences Your Personal Beliefs?
Feeling Stuck in Life? Here’s How to Choose Faith Over Fear
15 Scriptures on Trusting God in Difficult Times
-----
LCBC stands for Lives Changed By Christ. We are one church in multiple locations across Pennsylvania. Find the location closest to you or join us for Church Online. We can’t wait to connect with you!