Fortified Faith: How Doubts Help REconstruct BeliefSample

Years ago, my husband and I bought a house with hidden issues. As short-term “fixes” from the past owner all eventually failed, we faced a choice: to settle for new temporary fixes or invest in proper repairs.

God offers you a similar opportunity with your faith.

Some of your long-held beliefs about God are faulty. Mine are too. And God isn’t stressed out or surprised. Anything He prompts in your heart or mind as you read this plan could be an old temporary “fix” that He’s offering to rebuild properly in your life.

Myth: Don’t doubt. Doubting is a sign of a weak faith.
Truth: God welcomes your questions.

Thomas needed to see Jesus' wounds to believe. John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the Messiah. And remember the father in Mark 9, who cried out, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" You can trust God with your needs and honest questions.

Myth: I need to work harder to have stronger faith.
Truth: Faith doesn’t come from you.

We’ll read verses today that show how faith is a gift from God, not something you generate yourself. We’re the recipients of faith, not the originators.

Myth: It’s not important to know what I believe or why. Salvation is enough.
Truth: You live according to what you believe, especially what you believe about God.

Salvation is the beginning of a transformative relationship with God that continues throughout the rest of your life. God’s not just about your “someday” in heaven. He cares about your life today. He rescued you so you could experience the fullness of life and joy and grow in your relationship with Him starting now on earth.

These faulty beliefs are areas in which God has reconstructed my faith.

• I hid my doubts, fearing God's reaction. When I struggled to understand something in scripture, I’d withdraw in shame or embarrassment. Churches weren’t always safe places to ask questions either, so I’d bury my doubts and hope they’d go away.
• I'd adopt others' beliefs without examining them, leading to easily uprooted faith. When the Bible confused me, I’d ignore my questions. Or I’d ask someone else and simply take their beliefs as my own. When challenged, those beliefs gave way because I had never deeply rooted them in personal convictions about what was true.
• I thought I had to work up my faith by my own efforts. I’d muscle through heartache, hoping to find faith or fake faith, wishing there was a better way.

And there WAS a better way! God began reconstructing these beliefs so I could receive the fortified faith He’d always offered me.

If you've uncovered issues in your faith foundation, the Holy Spirit is ready to help. He's your Divine General Contractor, at work renewing and transforming your beliefs. Tomorrow, we'll explore practical ways to partner with Him in this reconstruction process.