Doubt is a common human experience, and many people of faith have struggled with questions and uncertainties about their beliefs.
While doubt can be a difficult and challenging experience, the Bible contains several verses that speak to this issue and offer guidance for how we can navigate our doubts with faith and courage.
Bible Verses About Doubt
Many Christians regularly and naturally experience doubt. Sometimes we may find it difficult to balance our faith with the difficulties and uncertainties of life, or we may question our beliefs and convictions.
Several passages in the Bible address the subject of doubt, providing insight and direction for those who are battling it.
We will look at a few of these verses in this article and consider what they have to say about the nature of doubt and how we can deal with this difficult aspect of our faith.
Matthew 14:31 (ESV) – Have Faith In God, Don’t Doubt Him
“Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?'”
Mark 11:23 (ESV) – Our Faith Can Move Mountains
“Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.”
Luke 24:38 (ESV) – Don’t Be troubled, Depend On God
“And he said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?'”
John 20:27 (ESV) – Trust god For Everything
“Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.'”
Romans 14:23 (ESV) – Our Faith Can Make Us Clean
“But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”
James 1:6 (ESV) – We Can get Anything We Want By Faith
“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.”
James 1:7 (ESV) – Don’t Be Double Minded
“For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
James 2:14 (ESV) – Add Faith With Work
“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?”
James 2:17-18 (ESV) – Your Work Should Go With Faith
“So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
James 2:26 (ESV)- God Wants Us to Have The Wisdom Imbedded In The Word
“For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”
1 Corinthians 15:17 (ESV)
“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”
1 Timothy 2:8 (ESV)
“I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling.”
Hebrews 3:12 (ESV)
“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.”
Hebrews 11:1(ESV)
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)
“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
bible verses about doubting
Whether we are questioning our beliefs, struggling to reconcile our faith with the challenges of life, or simply feeling uncertain about our convictions, doubt can be a difficult and challenging experience.
However, the Bible offers several verses that address the issue of doubt and provide guidance for how we can navigate this challenging aspect of our faith.
In this section we will explore some of these verses and reflect on what they teach us about the nature of doubt, how we can respond to doubt in healthy and constructive ways, and how we can deepen our faith even in the midst of uncertainty.
Matthew 28:17 (ESV)
“And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.”
Mark 9:24 (ESV)
“Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!'”
Mark 16:14 (ESV)
“Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.”
Luke 24:11(ESV)
“but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.”
Luke 24:38 (ESV)
“And he said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?'”
John 20:25 (ESV)
“So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.'”
John 20:27 (ESV)
“Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.'”
Acts 10:20 (ESV)
“Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.”
Acts 10:29 (ESV)
“So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.”
Romans 14:23 (ESV)
“But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”
1 Corinthians 10:12 (ESV)
“Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.”
1 Corinthians 14:23 (ESV)
“If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds?”
2 Corinthians 13:5 (ESV)
“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”
James 1:6 (ESV)
“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.”
James 1:7 (ESV)
“For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
Bible Verses About Doubting Yourself
We all go through periods as humans where we doubt our worth and our abilities and feel insecure.
Christians who may find it difficult to reconcile their faith with their own perceived failings may find these feelings of doubt to be particularly difficult.
Thankfully, there are several verses in the Bible that deal with the subject of self-doubt and offer advice on how to get past these unfavorable emotions.
In this section, we’ll look at a few of these verses and consider what they have to say about the nature of self-doubt, how to handle it in a healthy and productive way, and how to remain strong and confident in our faith even when we have self-doubt.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
Psalm 139:14 (ESV)
“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”
Philippians 4:13 (ESV)
“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
Psalm 23:1(ESV)
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
Jeremiah 29:11(ESV)
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Romans 8:31(ESV)
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Psalm 56:3-4 (ESV)
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?”
Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Psalm 118:6 (ESV)
“The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
1 Corinthians 3:16 (ESV)
“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”
Psalm 27:1(ESV)
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
Philippians 1:6 (ESV)
“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
Psalm 34:4 (ESV)
“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”
Isaiah 40:31(ESV)
“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
Conclusion
The issue of doubt is a challenging aspect of the human experience, but the Bible offers valuable guidance and wisdom for those who are struggling.
Whether we are wrestling with doubts about our faith, our abilities, or our worth, these verses in this article speaks to our hearts and provide us with the hope and strength that we need to persevere.
By approaching doubt with humility, seeking out the support of our communities, and staying connected to our faith, we can find the courage to confront our doubts and emerge stronger on the other side.
Ultimately, the Bible reminds us that doubt is a natural and inevitable part of our journey, and that we are called to trust in God’s plan and purpose for our lives, even in the midst of uncertainty.
