What Is Doubt, Really?

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blue_ladybug

blue_ladybug

Senior Member
#1
Feb 21, 2014
70,869
9,601
113
#1
I got this thread idea from a movie I watched, called "Elle". Now, Elle is an intern at a music agency. She has wanted to sing her entire life, but after her parents' death in a plane crash while they were flying to Berkeley to attend her music audition, she gives up on her dream because of doubt. Doubt that she can really sing, and doubt that she could be good enough to get into Berkeley Music School. She writes a song called "Anything Is Possible" and one of the lyrics is "Doubt is only fear of the unknown, and being alone."


So my question is, what is doubt, actually? Is it really just fear of the unknown events in our future? Or is it simply a lack of belief that we CAN be good enough to do whatever we put our minds to?

By the way, in the movie, Elle dares to do another audition at Berkeley, and gets accepted into their school. :) She is told by her boyfriend, to "just believe in yourself." And if we believe in ourselves, does doubt still exist for us? Or does it get squashed? lol
 
H

HisHolly

Guest
#2
#2
For me doubt has come easy when I don't see how something could be or happen bc I have no experience to tie it to in my own life..
 
A

AuntieAnt

Guest
#4
#4
Doubt is not my friend. :p Unfortunately, it's been active in my flesh most of my life due to many traumatic circumstances.

Nevertheless, the Lord is absolutely greater than the doubt in me. \:D/ When I am weak in my flesh (which is most of the time), he is strong and always brings me through. And man, God sure is faithful! That I know because he proves himself all the time.

The beautiful lesson I'm learning about doubt is that I don't have to be ashamed of my weak flesh. Paul said he glories in his weakness because those are the times God is most evident to him. And Christ is as alive in us as he was in Paul, right? So I can always run to God with my hands dirty, my thoughts in confusion, my heart weak with fear, my attitude stinking to high heaven.... and know that the Father will set me straight again in himself. I love that!!!

The man who wanted his son healed cried out to Jesus, "I believe. Help my unbelief!" That father knew Jesus was able to heal his dear son. He just wasn't sure Jesus was willing to do it for him.

That's how I get. My flesh lies to me and makes me wonder if God is still willing. So I keep dying to my flesh every day because the faith of Jesus Christ placed within me knows God is always willing and able. He has been faithful to me my entire life. He never lied to me, never deceived me, never condemned me, never was harsh to me, never forgot me, never ignored me, never got angry at me, never deserted me. :eek:
 
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Grace777x70

Grace777x70

Banned
#5
Nov 22, 2015
20,436
1,430
0
#5
I believe we can doubt in our minds but still believe in our hearts - which is the new creation in Christ.

We believe with our heart which is how we are saved according to Romans 10:10.

We receive from the Lord when do not have doubt in our hearts. The key for me in all this is the activity in our heart.

If we don't hear the word of Christ and what He has done about a subject then there will be nothing for belief to come in our hearts concerning a subject or circumstance. There will not be the proper "nutrients" needed to produce belief or faith in our hearts.

"Faith come from hearing and hearing from the word of Christ" Romans 10:17 (NASB)


Mark 11:23-24 (NASB)
[SUP]23 [/SUP] "Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him.

[SUP]24 [/SUP] "Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.

We can get messed up by trying to say things that our heart really doesn't believe yet and so we think if we say them enough times - it will happen. This IMO is not true believing in our heart which is needed.

Then we can say that this "believing stuff just doesn't work" and then say that Mark 11:23-24 is not true. In reality we are just fooling ourselves.
 
A

Amazing-Grace

Guest
#6
#6
Doubt is Satan's greatest weapon; "did God really say...?"
 
notuptome

notuptome

Senior Member
#7
May 17, 2013
15,050
2,538
113
#7
Doubt as clearly demonstrated by Peter walking on water to Jesus is nothing less than taking our eyes off Jesus.

We must learn to trust Jesus and we grow as we recall what He has already done for us. When we doubt the future we look to the past and see His faithfulness to us knowing He will not forsake us.

For the cause of Christ
Roger
 
Utah

Utah

Banned
#8
Dec 1, 2014
9,701
251
0
#8
A form of weakness and completely human.
 
A

Amazing-Grace

Guest
#9
#9
AuntieAnt said:
Doubt is not my friend. :p Unfortunately, it's been active in my flesh most of my life due to many traumatic circumstances.

Nevertheless, the Lord is absolutely greater than the doubt in me. \:D/ When I am weak in my flesh (which is most of the time), he is strong and always brings me through. And man, God sure is faithful! That I know because he proves himself all the time.

The beautiful lesson I'm learning about doubt is that I don't have to be ashamed of my weak flesh. Paul said he glories in his weakness because those are the times God is most evident to him. And Christ is as alive in us as he was in Paul, right? So I can always run to God with my hands dirty, my thoughts in confusion, my heart weak with fear, my attitude stinking to high heaven.... and know that the Father will set me straight again in himself. I love that!!!

The man who wanted his son healed cried out to Jesus, "I believe. Help my unbelief!" That father knew Jesus was able to heal his dear son. He just wasn't sure Jesus was willing to do it for him.

That's how I get. My flesh lies to me and makes me wonder if God is still willing. So I keep dying to my flesh every day because the faith of Jesus Christ placed within me knows God is always willing and able. He has been faithful to me my entire life. He never lied to me, never deceived me, never condemned me, never was harsh to me, never forgot me, never ignored me, never got angry at me, never deserted me. :eek:
Click to expand...
A very honest answer...some great answers on this thread, we need more of this kind of stuff to discuss!
 
Blain

Blain

The Word Weaver
#10
Aug 28, 2012
19,211
2,547
113
#10
I saw blue made a thread and I was like ooh I gotta check this out!
That is a very good question Blue, I mean the man who was the father of a demon possessed child said to Jesus I do believe help me with my unbelief and Jesus did what was asked.
Now it's obvious this man believed yet had doubt but he knew this and asked Jesus to help him with his unbelief and because of this a miracle happened.

doubt may merely be the lack of understanding in order to believe or it could simply be another form of fear but doubt appears to be the opposite of faith because faith is believing without seeing doubt on the other hand from fear of not seeing any evidence forms in our minds. But there seems to be a difference with doubt in our minds and doubt in our hearts, the father had doubt in his mind but I think because he believed in his heart a miracle happened.
 
Blain

Blain

The Word Weaver
#11
Aug 28, 2012
19,211
2,547
113
#11
AuntieAnt said:
Doubt is not my friend. :p Unfortunately, it's been active in my flesh most of my life due to many traumatic circumstances.

Nevertheless, the Lord is absolutely greater than the doubt in me. \:D/ When I am weak in my flesh (which is most of the time), he is strong and always brings me through. And man, God sure is faithful! That I know because he proves himself all the time.

The beautiful lesson I'm learning about doubt is that I don't have to be ashamed of my weak flesh. Paul said he glories in his weakness because those are the times God is most evident to him. And Christ is as alive in us as he was in Paul, right? So I can always run to God with my hands dirty, my thoughts in confusion, my heart weak with fear, my attitude stinking to high heaven.... and know that the Father will set me straight again in himself. I love that!!!

The man who wanted his son healed cried out to Jesus, "I believe. Help my unbelief!" That father knew Jesus was able to heal his dear son. He just wasn't sure Jesus was willing to do it for him.

That's how I get. My flesh lies to me and makes me wonder if God is still willing. So I keep dying to my flesh every day because the faith of Jesus Christ placed within me knows God is always willing and able. He has been faithful to me my entire life. He never lied to me, never deceived me, never condemned me, never was harsh to me, never forgot me, never ignored me, never got angry at me, never deserted me. :eek:
Click to expand...
You must spread rep before giving more rep to auntie aunt
 
A

AuntieAnt

Guest
#12
#12
Amazing-Grace said:
Doubt is Satan's greatest weapon; "did God really say...?"
Click to expand...
Doubt is the devil's ONLY weapon. Every single battle we go through is narrowed down to what Jesus asked: "Do you believe me?"

Even when we are faithless, Jesus Christ remains faithful because he can't deny himself. (II Timothy 2:13)

Yes, like brother Grace777x70 posted above, we can believe in our hearts even if our flesh is doubting. :eek:
 
A

Amazing-Grace

Guest
#14
#14
Thank you to the two of you who gave me rep tonight, bless you both. :)
 
blue_ladybug

blue_ladybug

Senior Member
#15
Feb 21, 2014
70,869
9,601
113
#15
blue_ladybug said:
I got this thread idea from a movie I watched, called "Elle". Now, Elle is an intern at a music agency. She has wanted to sing her entire life, but after her parents' death in a plane crash while they were flying to Berkeley to attend her music audition, she gives up on her dream because of doubt. Doubt that she can really sing, and doubt that she could be good enough to get into Berkeley Music School. She writes a song called "Anything Is Possible" and one of the lyrics is "Doubt is only fear of the unknown, and being alone."


So my question is, what is doubt, actually? Is it really just fear of the unknown events in our future? Or is it simply a lack of belief that we CAN be good enough to do whatever we put our minds to?

By the way, in the movie, Elle dares to do another audition at Berkeley, and gets accepted into their school. :) She is told by her boyfriend, to "just believe in yourself." And if we believe in ourselves, does doubt still exist for us? Or does it get squashed? lol
Click to expand...

Thank you to whomever repped me on this post. It is truly appreciated. :)
 
blue_ladybug

blue_ladybug

Senior Member
#16
Feb 21, 2014
70,869
9,601
113
#16
I wish more people made threads to talk about things like doubt..and fear..and unsurety..etc.. Since we all struggle with those things..
 
Grace777x70

Grace777x70

Banned
#17
Nov 22, 2015
20,436
1,430
0
#17
blue_ladybug said:
I wish more people made threads to talk about things like doubt..and fear..and unsurety..etc.. Since we all struggle with those things..
Click to expand...

Yes...it is something all of us face everyday. We know that the answer for sure is the "hearing of Christ" and all that He has done for us.

Romans 10:17 (NASB)
[SUP]17 [/SUP] So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.


We need to be encouraged in the things of the Lord when the circumstances of life are screaming at us. That's why scripture talks so much about encouraging us in the Lord.

Worldly encouragement affects our emotions temporarily but godly spiritual encouragement "in the Lord" creates faith in our hearts from where we are to believe. It is with faith and patience that we inherit the promises of God while we are here on this earth.

Colossians 4:8 (NASB)
[SUP]8 [/SUP] For I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts;

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NASB)
[SUP]11 [/SUP] Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.


Just some of my thoughts on this...
 
O

oldethennew

Banned
#20
Feb 28, 2016
11,311
2,972
113
#20
1COR. 9:10.
Or saith He it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written:
that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of His hope.

our journeys are long and sometimes so rough that we sometimes don't believe that we can or will
ever make it to the end of our race...

PS. 30:5.
For His anger endureth but a moment; in His favour is LIFE: weeping may endure for a night,
but JOY cometh in the morning.

3JOHN 1:4.
I have no greater joy than to hear that My children walk in truth.
 
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