What to Do with Spiritual Doubts

College can be a crossroads of belief. Sometimes college students begin to question all sorts of things about life and God. Doubts about spiritual things come in all shapes and sizes. We all question things from time to time. There are tiny doubts that fly through your mind. You might be questioning if you're heading to the right college. You could be wondering about lots of things in life, and you even begin to wonder why you doubt in the first place.

As a believer in Jesus, you might think, I'm not supposed to doubt, right? You start to question your heart for God, feel guilty and try to figure out what's wrong with yourself. If you are struggling with doubt on any level, I'd encourage you to relax; breath deeply for a few minutes. Doubts are normal and really pop up their heads during times of transition and the college years.

Let me help you take the pressure off: Doubt is not the opposite of belief.

Read that again. The opposite of belief is unbelief. Authentic faith says, "I doubt as do others, and I'll be honest with my feelings." I think Jesus' disciples were honest about their doubts, and Jesus helped them along as they kept following. Maybe He had to hang around for 40 days after the resurrection just so they'd be convinced He was alive! The key is to stay connected to your belief in God and follow Jesus with all your heart, even when doubts creep in.

Here is some help when doubts draw near.

First, admit your doubts. Look in the mirror. Be honest with yourself. Then admit your doubts to God. Don't just lie awake at night questioning and worrying; talk to God. Tell Him your feelings. Just like any other relationship, your relationship with God needs to grow in communication. Seek His peace that is beyond feelings.

Next, go to some good, secure places. Take some time in the Bible with your questions. Look up Scripture verses about doubt. Nail down the essentials of your belief in God. These are the real certainties rooted in the Bible. You and I don't know everything there is to know about God; we know about a thimble's worth of understanding. You may never receive answers to all your questions and doubts this side of heaven, and that's where faith in God comes into play. This is why we are saved by God's grace through faith (Eph. 2:8).

Authentic followers of Jesus live with the tension and mystery that God is God and we are not. Continue striving to know God, but recognize there are some things you might not know fully. When you doubt, make a list of the essentials of your faith in Jesus. Hold on to this list when questioning comes. Finally, seek good friends and older adults who love God with all of their hearts; spend time with them. Share your doubts with them. Ask them to pray with you for God's peace and to walk this journey with you. We all need mentors in our lives who are a little further along in life and their relationship with God. I will bet these mentors have had doubts, too.  

Doubts will come and go. Admit you have them. Talk to God, friends and mentors; and hold tight to the most important aspects of your faith in Jesus. Dwell on Him. He is your living water and bread of life. Fill your mind with true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy things (Phil. 4:8). Your doubts will begin to fade.