10 Ways To Resolve Spiritual Doubt

By Doug Pedersen

I'm not sure about God.

When people say this, they're really saying, "I'm not sure about the person who told me about God."

And why would they be sure?

Many of us have seen, heard of, or experienced religious contradictions. Scandals. Hypocrisy. Corruption. Power. Control. Guilt. When I was a child, our pastor cheated on his wife. It was hard to trust the church after that. Religious institutions, communities, and figures have not been perfect throughout the ages.

Bible stories can also make people unsure. I mentored a friend as he explored his faith. He struggled to believe stories in the Old Testament. Noah's ark. Jonah and the whale. Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt. He couldn't even read long enough to get to the part where Jesus rose from the dead. These biblical stories can be troublesome to a modern, science-dominated, practical thinker. They sound crazy!

When in doubt about God's truth, beauty, and goodness, I say this: Go directly with God. Do spiritual work. You can start by directing the faith you have and connect with the Spirit of God who lives within you. Your thought adjuster. You don't need anyone else. He will spiritualize your thinking through your determinations, decisions, and desires. However, you must first work to reduce the physical and mental toxins that poison your awareness of His presence within you.

10 Tips to Overcome Spiritual Doubt

1.    Take Charge of Your Self-Care

I read recently that 97% of people smoke, don't exercise, or have an improper diet (are overweight). That's pretty much everyone and not ideal for spiritual fitness.

Poor physical health often leads to chronic stress, illness, and disease. We know this. Most people don't understand that these physical states also lead to incoherence in the mind-body-spirit system. Incoherence is spiritual quarantine. Nothing will alter the Spirit of God's voice within your heart and mind more than a body dominated by electrochemical instabilities, emotional distortions, and a mind that's focused on negative and self-serving thoughts. You must tame these things.

It's best to accept that your physical body is God's actual, literal temple. It is the earthly vehicle of His spirit that lives within you. Self-care and a high-quality, healthy lifestyle will foster a coherent body system. Physical health and coherence are how you connect your mind-body-spirit. They are your first steps to overcoming spiritual doubt.

1.) Decide to have physical, mental, and emotional health.
2.) Affirm: My body is God's temple. I will care for it in all ways.
3.) Meditate on God's Body.

2.    Face Your Fears

I was afraid to take showers when I was a kid. I believed that a werewolf would attack me through the bathroom window—100%. Thank God I faced that fear. My family thanked me too!

Fear pollutes the senses. It clouds the mind and tricks perception. It also puts our focus directly and intensely back on ourselves, which is the disguise and hallmark of the selfish ego. Fear will delay and possibly deter God's plan for your life.

You don't need to be afraid. God wants you to be strong as you seek. He will protect you. Rely on Him to overcome your terrors. Trust in Him. Cooperate with Him. Live and work in life more cheerfully. Endure hardships more patiently. Persistently. Be courageous.

1.) Decide to face your fears.
2.) Affirm: I AM safe. I AM protected and cared for by God.
3.) Meditate on God's Courage.

3.    Avoid Anger

My kids get angry over little things. They're young and still learning self-control. Andrew farted while under Allena's blanket last night. They bickered like an old married couple until it escalated into anger—and then a full-fledged fight. It was an ugly scene but a valuable parenting opportunity. We've all acted like little kids when we don't get our way.

James said, "Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." Anger closes us off from the truth and limits us. We forget others quickly when we're angry. It keeps us from seeing alternatives. Anger is a useless emotion that brings negative energy to any situation. It's a spiritual blindfold.

Mercy is the alternative. It brings greater understanding and compassion. It binds you to others and to the Spirit of God that is within you.

1.) Desire to be merciful.
2.) Affirm: I AM merciful. I AM safe. I accept myself and others.
3.) Meditate on God's Mercy.

4.    Put an End to Envy

Have you heard of Facebook envy?

It's a real thing. I had to look it up. German researchers found that 1 in 3 people feel staggering levels of envy after surfing the site. That's a lot of us.

Envy is a spiritual disease that works to separate you from others and the nature of God. Envy is merely a demonstration of personal lack. It's a reaction to not having something enjoyed or possessed by someone else. Expressing personal lack can be intensely emotional. It energizes a hurtful attitude towards oneself and others that is said to "rot the bones."

Be loyal instead. Be true to your authentic self. Live with loyalty towards your friends, neighbors, and community. Appreciate them sincerely. Encourage them. Ultimately, be loyal to the indwelling Spirit who provides for all your needs.

1.) Decide to be loyal.
2.) Affirm: I AM grateful for others. I have all that I need. I love my life.
3.) Meditate on God's Loyalty.

5.    Move Past Jealousy

Unlike envy, where we react negatively to not having something, jealousy appears if we feel a threat of losing something that we already possess—like a friend, a lover, a loved one, or perhaps attention from a parent.

Scriptures describe jealousy as fierce, murderous, and bitter. It leads to fury, clashes, and disorder of all kinds. Jealous people say things to make others feel bad. They undermine other people. Jealousy causes miscommunication, mistakes, conflicts, breakups, divorce, domestic violence, and more.

Jealousy is spiritual demolition—destruction. The Spirit of God does not respond to this kind of vanity. He responds to love. The type of love that Jesus commanded at the Last Supper. Love one another as he loved us. Loving people, despite their "faults," is the Spirit of God. It's the heart that's needed to receive the ministry of your thought adjuster.

1.) Decide to love people.
2.) Affirm: I AM my brother's keeper. I AM safe. I AM love. I AM loved.
3.) Meditate on God's Love.

6.    Work Out Your Suspicions

"I'm nice to people because when I get to Heaven, I want to have a lot of jewels on my crown."

Oh, really?

I was suspicious of the youth pastor that said this. It seemed shallow and not the right goal for Heaven-life.

Again, here I am, suspicious of the person telling me about God. That's not what I'm referring to here. If you doubt, you need to stop being wary of God.

I understand the apprehension. The distrust. Especially if you feel like life isn't going your way. Or if you're doubtful about the wonders in the Bible. It's scary to trust an all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present, mysterious being. How do you approach such an entity? But that's what you must do.

Suspicion is spiritual weakness. It weakens faith. Faith is the key and the cost to experiencing the Family of God. Fixate on faith. Walk-in faith with the Spirit. Trust. He is guiding you. You are cared for.

1.) Decide to be faithful.
2.) Affirm: God, today I choose you. Reveal your truth. I prefer your will for my life.
3.) Meditate on God's Faith.

7.    Say Farewell to Intolerance

We're in a culture war. People are looking for a takedown. But participating in cancel culture is not the same as rejecting intolerance.

The world will be ideal when prejudice, bigotry, chauvinism, corruption, oppression, and all vile behaviors no longer exist. These things are ignorant. But intolerance of ignorance leads to more prejudice. Grace, patience, growth, education, ministry, and more overcome it.

I've found that it's best to put ignorance aside, isolate it, and put its nose in the corner until it's ready to learn. I'm not saying you need to allow ignorance into your life or personal space. I'm saying not to judge or fight with it (them).

Saying farewell to intolerance in the spiritual sense comes from within. You must reject the intolerance you have of others and their behavior. Intolerance is spiritual ignorance. God is in all, contains all, and is working in all. He is tolerant of all.

Place your attention on hope instead of intolerance. Hope for the best in all situations. Hope for a brighter future aligned with God's will for your life, no matter the circumstance. Hope.

1.) Decide to be hopeful.
2.) Affirm: I AM optimistic. I know God is working in all of us.
3.) Meditate on God's Hope.

8. Don't Worry

How do you guarantee never to have complete faith?

You worry.

Worry is spiritually unnecessary. The anxiety it creates and the mind's obsession with future events rob you of your present moments. It restrains you. It's vain and restricts your ability to connect to what's within you on deeper levels.

You will need your present moments when struggling with spiritual doubt. Being present with God and acknowledging His Presence are the practices you need to receive Him. Mental and emotional freedom is what's required here. Learn to free yourself. Space leads to a pure heart, mind, and body that can feel, think, speak, and act with divine guidance.

1.) Decide to be present.
2.) Affirm: I AM free of fear and doubt. I cast worry and misery out.
3.) Meditate on God's Presence.

9.    Quit Criticizing

This one's a toughie.

A study circulating says roughly 80% of our thoughts are negative. And they auto-repeat.

There is a line between observation, evaluation, and criticism that contaminates spirituality. How do you stop your mind from criticizing and critiquing? Especially when "it just seems to happen." You must take control of your mind and fight negative thinking.

Observation becomes criticism when a mental judgment is attached. This meaning usually carries a negative emotion like irritation, frustration, or anger. At that moment, your observation becomes criticism. You may find that this kind of criticism occurs through gossip. Or when complaining. Or when acting from anger, envy, or jealousy. Negative internal dialogue about self and others also produces useless forms of criticism.

You will never be at peace as long as you carry a critical attitude. Criticism is the spiritual equivalent of death by 1,000 cuts. It's a precursor to hypocrisy, to judgment. It's an energy drain—a leakage of spiritual potential.

Practice innocent perceptions of people and situations. Identify and assign spiritual value by exercising equanimity. Allow people, circumstances, and things room to blossom. Give them grace. Let them pass without triggering you. Your loving guide is just. He provides justice to you—and them as well.

1.) Decide to be just in your thinking.
2.) Affirm: I AM safe. It is healthy for me to experience contrast.
3.) Meditate on God's Justice.

10. Explore Spiritual Realizations and Experiences

You can learn of God from a God-knowing person. From someone who's connected and known. But like we've discussed, some of us walk away frustrated and discouraged. The people we look to for Holy teaching sometimes let us down. They are people, too—only human.

Realization and experience are how you know God. Not through word-of-mouth. Your decisions, determinations, and steadfast faith will alleviate your spiritual doubt. How you feel. How you speak. How you act. By your intentions and motivations. By opening your awareness. By how you learn, grow, and mature with Him. If you are determined to resolve your spiritual doubt, you must explore realizations and experiences with God.

1.) Decide to experience God.
2.) Affirm: God is revealing himself to me always—and in all ways.
3.) Meditate on God.

Final Thoughts

In the end, steadfast faith will spring from personal experience. Not from relics, superstitions, traditions, or anecdotes expressed by well-meaning people. Going within is the only way to overcome spiritual and religious doubt. Remember that you're dealing with matters of the soul. Ultimately, with issues of the Spirit. You must do spiritual work to discover your truth. As Jesus said: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."

Base your life on learning the truth, beauty, and goodness that our Father has stored in your heart. Commit to these ten tips and make these qualities your own. Rid yourself of the physical and mental toxins that dissipate your spiritual nature. Purity leads to moral living, which is also the premier technique for happy living. Begin by thinking correctly about God. Your thinking will turn into wisdom. Then into worship. Then into faith. Ultimately, it will turn to love for the Father.

Be sure to take your time. I've been obese. I'm not perfect and have fallen short of my morals. I've lived everything talked about here. However, the contrast has benefitted me. Spiritual work is not easy. You will stumble. Feel like you're failing. But you're not. Spiritual work requires discipline, patience, and willpower. But the path is inevitable. Keep going. Allow your spiritual self to open and blossom like a flower. Your awareness of Him, love for Him, the quest for Him will take shape. It will take time. He will take you into eternity. Be still and know God. The Family of God is Alive and Well. You are assured in it.