By: Elizabeth Louis
Reflecting on our recent discussion about the corrosive nature of doubt and its impact on our goals and personal growth, I couldn’t help but acknowledge how much God has helped me defeat doubt.
Earlier this year, I felt God speaking to me, telling me that my doubt was holding me back and that we needed to address it together. I eagerly agreed, and from that point, things began to change.
I made the intentional decision to invest wholeheartedly in my business. I chose to let go of my doubts and fully believe in my skills, talents, and partnership with my ultimate business partner, God. Breaking up with doubt and embracing self-belief catapulted my business, resulting in a phenomenal 400% growth within less than a year and exceeding our financial goals by 200%.
Now, let’s delve into the practical steps that can help you trust God and diminish doubt in your own life. When I mention “breaking up with doubt,” it’s not about eliminating doubt entirely; it’s more about refusing to align with doubt and putting more trust in God’s word and promises. It’s emphasizing His command of being BOLD and COURAGEOUS in Him.
Here Are The Actionable Steps I’ve Taken On My Journey To Trust God More And Doubt Less:
1. Realign Your Perspective: It’s vital to remember that trusting God doesn’t mean the absence of fear or doubt. Rather, it’s a conscious decision to be bold and courageous in the Lord while keeping your focus on Him. Reframe your thinking to emphasize trust in God’s guidance. Wherever God’s leading you to go — you can trust Him. You cannot fail when staying obedient to God. Now, you may face hardships, but those hardships have a purpose. Get in prayer asking God what your perspective needs to be and ask God to clarify what He’s asking you to do if you’re unsure. I have learned over the years that God will ask you to do things that make you take a deep breath. Why? Because He wants to be glorified. Trust Him. He’s an excellent partner – the best you can imagine.
2. Recognize doubt as the Devil’s Tool: The devil often seeks to inject doubt into your life. He wants you to doubt your skills, gifts, and even God’s word. Remember the story of Eve and the serpent in Genesis 3, where doubt played a pivotal role in the fall of humanity. The devil will challenge your convictions and get you to focus on what you’re lacking or cause you to forget what God’s given and done for you. Don’t let this silly tactic be successful. Ignore the devil and keep your eyes fixed on God.
3. Challenge Doubt with Conviction: Like Eve, when doubt creeps into your mind, respond with unwavering conviction. Don’t entertain the doubt gremlin. Instead, rebuke it and reaffirm your faith in God’s promises and your abilities. When I feel uncertain if I can do what God’s asking me to do, I recite Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. This verse reminds me that it’s God who will work through me and that I can trust!
4. Embrace Boldness and Confidence: Doubt weakens the relationship you have with yourself. Introspection driven by self-questioning can lead to self-hatred and self-rejection. Choose to be bold and confident in your abilities, as God dwells within you, and His strength can work through you. When you are first starting out, stepping out of your comfort zone with God will be daunting, but you can trust Him. Why? Well, His word says so, and many people keep saying the same thing because they have single-handedly seen God work in their lives.
5. Choose Confidence Over Doubt: Trusting yourself is as much a choice as doubting yourself. Acknowledge that human opinions can be flawed, and perspective is often subjective. Trust God to guide you, and develop self-confidence while suppressing doubt. Remember, having confidence in your doubt is just as equal to having confidence in your confidence. They both require choice and action. Not doing something is still doing something.
6. Leverage Faith in God: Understand that faith isn’t about thinking you can achieve anything you want but rather agreeing with God’s plan for your life. Trust that God will provide what you need to serve Him and allow your faith to grow by remaining open to His guidance. Remember, He knows what’s best for you better than you do!
7. Anchor Your Faith in God’s Word: Remember that doubt can serve as a starting point for confessing your weaknesses and growing in faith. Jesus didn’t condemn Peter for doubting when Peter began to sink while walking on water. Instead, Jesus used it as an opportunity for Peter to confess his need for faith and help develop it.
8. Practice Matching Faith with Obedience: Understanding that faith must be coupled with obedience is crucial. Have faith in God’s power to move mountains, but remember that God’s power, not your abilities, achieves this. Trust God to work through you. All things are possible to those who believe.
9. Believe in God’s Plan for You: Never doubt God’s desire and ability to assist you, your salvation, the power within you, and your future. The Bible assures us of God’s unwavering commitment to those who love Him and align themselves with His purpose.
10. Hold onto God’s Word: Never doubt the validity of God’s word. God’s promises are unwavering, and His word holds true. Place your trust in His plan and His promises. Keeping your eyes fixed on this makes it easier to weaken the doubt gremlin’s power in your mind’s eye.
In summary, my journey in overcoming doubt and trusting God’s plan has been transformative. Embracing God’s guidance and challenging doubt has led to incredible growth in both my personal life and my business. By implementing the actionable steps mentioned above, you can also learn to trust God more and doubt less. Remember, faith isn’t the absence of doubt but the decision to believe in God’s power and guidance, even when doubt tries to creep in.
If you enjoyed this blog, I would encourage you to listen to the podcast on this topic, which is much longer and more detailed.
Find THE LIZ SHOW on ALL major podcasts.