Doubt: Navigating Doubt Flashcards
How should we deal with doubt according to Timothy Keller.
“The only way to doubt Christianity rightly and fairly is to discern the alternate belief under each of your doubts and then to ask yourself what reasons you have for believing it.”
TIMOTHY KELLER
Strategies for navigating doubt
- Rank them and turn it into a learning plan
- Remind yourself of the benefits of the doubt
- Remind yourself that doubt is not unbelief
- Confide in a trusted friend
- Doubt your doubt (Given the source of doubt)
- Diving Metaphor
- Psalm 88, 74,42, 13,10
- Refresh your faith, by remembering all God has done
Benefits of doubt
Doubts can deepen our dependence on God.
• Doubts can drive us out of complacency as we eagerly search for answers.
• Doubts can cultivate Christian humility within us as we realize that
everything isn’t so black-and-white after all. Doubt has a way of softening
the rigid, inflexible literalist.
• Doubts can help us relate to other doubters with more compassion. Jude
even reminds us to “have mercy on those who doubt.”1
• Doubts can equip us to be a sharper Christian apologist in our quest for
answers.
• Doubts can help us grow in Christian discernment as we sift through what
to believe and what not to believe.
• Doubts can serve as a necessary reminder that our battle is not against
flesh and blood. The root of this soul war is spiritual. And it’s very
powerful. Indeed.
• Doubts can create in us a greater longing for heaven, for that day when
our doubts will vanish. Paul said, “Now I know in part; then I shall know
fully.”2 What a day that will be!
Scriptural Grounds for remembering all God has done (Faith Library)
Psalm 13, In verse 6 David lists the reason for his
singing, “because he has dealt bountifully with me.” David found strength for the present by drawing it from the well of his past.
In seasons of darkness, remember those moments when you clearly saw light on the path. In Psalm 77, after a little questioning, Asaph too reignites his faith with these words, “I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.”
God reminded Israel, saying, “You shall remember that
you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.”
How does the story of Peter walking on water illustrate the effects of doubt?
Following Peter’s courageous attempt to walk on water, which ended with his near-drowning, Jesus said, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”18 I’m thinking, Um, Jesus, because humans don’t walk on water. And Peter at least tried, right? But Jesus was probing for something deeper with Peter. Peter doubted Jesus. That was the problem. As long as our eyes are on Jesus, we can retain peace regardless of how turbulent the circumstances. Even through a raging storm.
As Isaiah writes, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
What’s intriguing about this story is that Jesus actually believed that as long as Peter’s eyes were on Him, there was nothing to fear. No need to doubt. Next time doubts plague you, revisit this simple principle and refocus your eyes on Jesus. As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he was walking on water. It’s when he took his eyes off of Jesus that his fears and doubts began to sink him. It’s also when we begin to sink with doub
