REPLACING DOUBT WITH FAITH
I was a “late bloomer” when it came to learning to drive. We had been married for seven years and our children had already been born, when my hubby decided it was time I learnt to drive! We were living in Salisbury, (Rhodesia) at the time. He had tried repeatedly to teach me to drive but I was a “master” at giving him plausible reasons why a driving lesson was not convenient at that given moment! At the time we had an Datsun 1200, stick shift, car. So, Glyn announced to me one sunny day that we were going for a drive. He would not tell me where; just that he had a surprise in store for me! I was mystified when I saw that he was heading into the city center and then we pulled up and parked at the Cecil Square Park in the center of the city. He got out of the car and walked over to a gentleman who was standing by a car parked in front of ours and they shook hands and then walked back our car. I did not recognize the man and was REALLY CURIOUS to know who he was! Well my curiosity was quickly dispelled when Glyn introduced the man to me as the owner of a Driving School and informed me that he had already paid for 6 weeks of diving lessons for me! I was blown away with this news. You see my husband knew me
well enough that if he told me that the lessons were already paid for I would not squander the money as I was rather frugal when it came to spending money! To make sure I did not back out, the gentleman took me for my first driving lesson then and there; Glyn let the children play in the park while waiting for me to return. To say I was pretty mad at my husband would be an understatement of major proportions but actually his smart thinking was the best thing for me. Initially I was terrified as the instructor dropped right into the down-down traffic. On our return journey home I thoroughly “burnt” Glyn’s ears telling him in no uncertain terms that “his scheme” was doomed to failure as I DOUBTED seriously I could EVER master the art of driving a car with a stick shift! DOUBT was my enemy. I had a very patient instructor and with the passing of each lesson my proclamation of failure began to fade; my doubts began to be replaced by expectations of faith that I would pass my driving test; which I did at the close of my six weeks of lessons.
Why do we experience so much doubt in our daily lives? One reason is that doubt satisfies our need for self-protection. We don’t like to be wrong, to get hurt, or to fail, so our subconscious reasoning says, “It’s easier not to trust, to lower my expectations so I won’t be disappointed.”
But we are disappointed, aren’t we?
Why……..Because we allowed doubt to rob us of reaching beyond our comfort zone.
Another reason is that doubting comes so easy. We don’t wake up in the morning and say to ourselves, “Today I’m going to doubt God.” No, doubt moves in silently and finds the vacuum we have created by our indecision; then it takes over when we don’t do the right things.
Doubters are easy to find. Sometimes the people around us dwell on all the obstacles and difficulties, opening the door to doubt. Once that stream starts flowing it is so easy to get carried along with it.
Doubting is contagious. Doubt is easier to catch than the common cold, and its carriers are words of the negative “naysayers” around us!
Take heed today my friends…….. The words we listen to will either build us up or tear us down. They will either increase our faith or decrease it.
For example… Doubt says; “What will I do?” Faith replies; “In God’s strength I can handle it.”
Doubt says; “It’s awful what has happened to me” ! Faith replies; “It’s a learning experience.”
Doubt says; “I see no way out”! Faith replies; “It’s not too big for God to handle.”
Words are powerful things. They determine our outlook and approach to life. So in order to replace doubt with faith we must start eliminating negative attitudes from our life and replace them with uplifting and faith building attitudes!
How do we accomplish this? By continually persisting; (like my driving lessons); on those things which are good and true.
The Apostle Paul gives us an answer to this age old question of how we can turn our doubts into faith.
Listen to his words.
Philippians 4:8 (NKJV) Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy–meditate on these things.