Bernini’s Holy Spirit at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy, 2011
“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
When we doubt we question. When we doubt we suspect. Doubt causes delay.
Often our path is laid out quite clearly before us. We sense the direction we should go, we may even see it. Deep within we know what is ours to do, but the curtain of doubt closes around us and we hesitate. In hesitating we miss the boat completely, or decide at the last second to jump on board, but the boat has moved just far enough away from the dock that we plummet into the deep, dark water of uncertainty and fear. In spiritual terms, doubt causes delay that may well lead to our death.
Two antonyms for doubt are believe, and trust. In other words, faith. To be secure in our faith is to act on what we know is ours to do without hesitation. How do we know what is ours to do? We know because it passes certain criteria. It passes the test.
First and foremost, is it of God? If it is, it will reflect His Glory. It will honor Him. Second, does it cause any one harm? It must not lead others astray, or cause another to sin. It must be pure in integrity. Third, does it take you away from your true mission? If you are a family provider or caretaker, it must not cause you to be remiss in your responsibilities.
Fourth and final, do you feel called by God? It should not be that others are pushing you to do something. It should come from deep within, from your spirit within. It should bring peace of mind because it is yours to do.
If all of the above criteria are met it passes the test. You can move forward, not in doubt, but in faith. This isn’t to say that the path will be an easy one. But, if you continually check your direction against these criteria, your spirit within will be at peace. There will be no room for doubt.
“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. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” James 1:6-8
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