Most people have thoughts of doubt. So why doesn’t God make it easier for me to believe? Why doesn’t He just speak from the clouds and show Himself to me?
Doubt comes in many shapes and forms. “What does God really want me to do with my life?” “Why does He allow sickness and accidents to happen?” and “Why does He feel so far away?”
Why is it not easy to believe?
God is amazing. He created the whole universe. He also lovingly created each person. His power is endless. But it is my own thoughts that make believing God so difficult. God’s ways and thoughts simply can’t be understood with my own human mind.
God doesn’t choose for me, He lets me myself choose if I want to believe Him or not. He gives me a free choice to believe Him and love Him in return.
God wants to be close to me and wants me to become like Him. (2 Peter 1:4.) All that God is and does is good (Psalm 119:68), but because of sin, there is a big distance between God and me, which makes it difficult for me to believe that I can be like Him. God wants to give me victory over my sin, which is the source of all unhappiness and suffering, and in the end He wants to free the whole earth from sin.
In everything that God allows to happen, He is reaching out to try and bring us closer to Him, also in situations which seem pointless or even tragic.
Why should I want to believe God?
God has a specific plan and a happy future for each person who believes in Him, no matter who I am or where I come from. In fact, God has made it possible that anyone, anywhere, can believe in Him and know Him personally.
God’s plans are far greater than what I can think. As part of His plan, He sent His Son, Jesus, to live on earth, and He gave Him His Holy Spirit. Jesus had a nature just like me, but by always obeying God’s Spirit, He never sinned. It is now possible for me to get the same help from the Holy Spirit to stop sinning. By believing in God and obeying His Spirit, I can be freed from the heavy burden of being unable to stop sinning, from “sinning and asking for forgiveness” over and over.
I need God’s Holy Spirit to believe and understand what God, in His love, has planned for me. God is a Friend who gives me the strength and power to do what is impossible on my own.
How do I believe?
To believe is a choice I make, it is not a feeling. And I have to do something. The first step is to ask God for forgiveness with a sincere desire to stop doing the things that I know are sinful and wrong.
I need God’s Holy Spirit for the power to stop doing sinful things. To receive His Spirit, I need to pray to Him and read God’s word, and begin to do the things I read. I need to obey what I read in the Bible. God gives His Spirit to those who obey Him (Acts 5:32).
There is a story in the Bible of a prophet, Elijah, who prayed to God and waited for an answer. First, an earthquake came and then a fire, but God did not answer Elijah in them. Afterwards God spoke with a still small voice. (1 Kings 19:12.) Today God speaks to us through His Spirit in the same quiet way as He did to Elijah.
To hear God’s Spirit every day I need to be interested in more than just what is on social media, what my friends are thinking about me, and my career. I need to love God and want to be like Him. I need to be interested in what He says.
When I receive His Spirit, I begin to receive quiet “reminders” during my day. I am reminded about things I can do better, and my prayers are getting answered.
Maybe I wake up feeling in a bad mood. The Spirit reminds me that being irritated and angry is sinful. I pray for God’s help not to be irritated. With the help of His Spirit, I am able to choose not to be irritated even though I maybe feel that way.
Maybe I pray for someone I care about. I meet them the same day and get a chance to say something good to them. When I have His Spirit, I receive answers for my prayers and I see God in everyday experiences.
At times God can feel far away, but He is always nearby. (Acts 17:24-27; Psalm 139:7-10.) I can confidently pray and trust God for help even if I don’t feel full of faith. (Psalm 145:18.)
I may not see answers on my prayers as fast as I want but they will come! A dripping of water over time can carve a hard stone, not through forceful power but by never stopping. Jesus is able to save completely those who come to God through Him. (Hebrews 7:25.)
God doesn’t speak to me from the clouds directly. He wants me to choose to believe in Him and that I DO something from my side. When I choose to believe and obey God then my future is bright and promising!