“What if everything we believe is all in vain? What if there is no heaven or God?”
He was a godly senior adult who had followed Christ all his life. In fact, he came from a rich heritage of godly relatives. He and I often had long conversations about all kinds of things, including religion. He was one of those I felt I could let my hair down around (a laughable statement if you know what I look like). And as one of the leaders in the church I pastored, we conversed often. He had the time as a retiree, and I enjoyed the deep conversations.
And then one day I got up the nerve to ask the question. I’ll never forget his response: “Even if there is nothing in the hereafter, I won’t regret the way I’ve lived.”
Of course, he didn’t doubt, but he had confidence should doubts have arisen. But I’ll admit, I’ve doubted.
John the Baptist did, too. “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” (Matthew 11:3 NLT).
He was Jesus’s cousin and the Messiah’s forerunner. He had baptized Jesus, introduced him to others (including his own followers), and encouraged others to follow Jesus instead of himself. But when Herod arrested John—and John sat languishing in prison with nothing but time on his hands—doubt overcame him. John sent some of his followers to Jesus with the question. Jesus erased John’s doubts by reminding John of the signs and miracles he had performed.
Satan is the master of instilling doubt. In the beginning, he did it with Eve and then Adam. “Did God really say you shouldn’t eat of the fruit from the trees in the garden?” Eve’s doubt led her to action—sinful action.
When doubt comes, we should pause, pray, and ponder God’s Word. Through prayer, God’s Spirit calms our doubts and reassures us, as Jesus did for John. Prayer brings reassurance as nothing else can. The process is unexplainable, but the result is reliable.
And within God’s Word, we find promises for any doubt that assails us. When we believe that God’s Word is inspired, inerrant, and thus reliable, we will be reassured by its promises.
When doubt creeps in, let God drive it out.