Letting Go of Doubt
The following blog is a devotion from my book, Blind Faith Devotional: 30 Days of Finding Light, Building Faith, and Choosing Joy.
For more devotions, check it out here: https://amzn.to/3Q62J9h.
Day 13: Letting Go of Doubt
And Jesus answered them,” Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.” Matthew 21:21
Have you ever had moments in your life where you just feel invincible? I’m talking about those times when you feel like you can conquer any task, overcome any hurdle, and smash through any roadblock. For most of my younger years, I felt invincible. As I grew older and I started to feel the impact of the hardships of life, those moments became fewer and farther between. Especially after I lost my sight, I experienced more times where I felt defeated and weak. All of a sudden, even the smallest, most minute tasks seemed impossible. How would I ever be able to pick out my own clothes, prepare food independently, or finish college without my sight?
Incredibly, I have been able to master all of these tasks, along with many other endeavors, but sometimes I still have difficulty overcoming the doubt that accompanies these hardships. Can you relate?
Do you sometimes allow doubt, worry, and anxiety to make you feel like overcoming obstacles--or even completing the smallest task--is impossible?
I understand those feelings! In time and with faith, however, I realized that anything is possible. Sure, I recognized that I would never be able to tackle certain obstacles on my own that blindness causes, but God is more powerful than any hardship that I face. So, I put my trust, hope, and faith in Him.
It wasn’t enough to just say that I had faith, though; I had to really live it out. Just like the fig tree in this parable, when we simply put on a show, without really living what we speak, we become fruitless. Jesus cursed the fig tree because it showed promise, full of leaves before all of the other trees, but it bore no fruit. We do not want to be like this tree. If we say we have faith, we need to really live it out. For me, this has meant truly trusting the Lord in light of some pretty tough circumstances. Whenever I feel doubt creeping in, I remind myself that nothing is impossible with God. I pray for Him to provide me with the confidence, skill, and perseverance to keep trudging along.
In my situation, it would be very easy to say that I trust God, but still, use my blindness not to act on my faith.
I was very tempted to do this when I was trying to decide whether or not I should finish my college degree. I spent most of my college career with sight, so it seemed like a challenging and even terrifying endeavor to try to return as someone who is blind…and it was! I had to relearn how to navigate campus, access my textbooks, complete my school work, and keep up a social life, all without my sight. It all seemed daunting, overwhelming, and downright impossible. Yet, while struggling, my faith was tested, and I was fostering a stronger relationship with God. I felt Him telling me to move and trust Him, not just sit on the sidelines, so I did. Along this journey, I learned so much.
As I continued to trust God to move the mountains in my life, my own personal fig tree grew, not only sprouting leaves but eventually bearing beautiful fruit as well.
My fruit? Joy and peace despite my circumstances; patience as I learned to live without my sight; kindness, goodness, gentleness, and love towards others, despite the frustration I often felt; self-control so I wouldn’t return to the sinful life I had left behind; and finally an immense amount of faithfulness in God’s unseen power. All of these things can be produced in our lives only through the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
As we begin to bear the fruit of the spirit and live it out, amazing things can happen.
We are able to let go of the doubt that once consumed us, trust God and His power, and watch as He moves those mountains in our lives. Remember, we truly can do anything through Christ who gives us strength (Philippians 4:13).
Think About It: Am I letting the doubt in my life keep me from truly living out my faith? How can I turn these doubts over to God?
Pray About It: “Lord, I know that you have the power to move the mountains in my life. Help me to allow my faith in your power to show in everything I do as I let go of my doubts and rest in your strength.”
Text that says, “This blog is sponsored by:”
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