How Can The Lord Help Us Overcome Cynicism, Skepticism And Doubt?

How can we overcome the tendency to have little faith or confidence?

1. Trust in the Lord’s reliability and be fully persuaded that He will fulfill every promise. The writer of Hebrews wrote, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.... And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. (Heb. 11:1-6)

2. Appropriate the fact that as a son or daughter of God you are an overcomer. John writes, "For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only He who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." (I Jn. 5:4,5)

3. Learn from the confession and faith of the apostle Paul. Paul wrote, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Rom. 7:24,25) Even when we do not seem to have it in ourselves to do what is right, the Spirit enables us through His grace.

4. Do not give into the temptations to doubt, grow cynical or skeptical as those in the world. Paul wrote, "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. (Rom. 6:14)

Application: Resist any tendency to trust in procedures, policies or man made rules for your security. God is able to use these things to draw us closer to Himself

5. Learn to follow the example of Abraham who believed in victory when the odds were against him. Paul writes, "Yet, Abraham did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in His faith and gave glory to God. Being fully persuaded that God had power, to do what He had promised."(Rom. 4:20,21)

6. Progressively develop Godly characteristics that grow out of an optimistic faith. Peter writes, "Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness and to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love." (2 Pet. 1:5-7) A Godly person is brimming over with confidence in what the Lord will do through them.

7. Learn from the example of doubting Thomas. One day Thomas came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way? Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life." (John 14:6)

Application: Believe that God will find a way when there seems to be no way.

8. Claim the greatest promise that Jesus gave to believers. Jesus said, "He who believes in Me, the works that I do will He do also and greater works than these will he do because I go to the Father." (John 14:12)

Application: The Lord will enable you to do even greater works than Jesus did, at least in quantity, if you really believe in His enabling power.