Do You Ever Doubt?

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Living a good Christian life is not always easy. I say the Rosary every night, attend mass every Sunday, and fast every Friday. I feel that my relationship with Christ and the Blessed Mother are better and more intimate than they have ever been–but sometimes my mind begins to flood with doubts. What if none of this is real? What if there is no Heaven when we die? What if Christ was just a man who said he was God, but was just a man? I often pray for my faith to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit and ask St. Thomas the Apostle (doubting Thomas) to pray for me (Doubting Dasher).
I don’t know exactly why I’m haunted by these waves of doubt. I try to push them out of my mind…but there they are again. I need to address the root of the problem and take the leap of faith once and for all! But sometimes I feel like this guy
-------> :confused:
 
Realize you are not alone. Almost everyone has doubts from time to time.

But know that although our faith is tested, God doesn’t mean for us to live in the dark. Go out, get involved, help those in need. Keep your eyes open, and see God at work in the lives of others.

I used to doubt his existance a lot. But now I’ve seen him work such wonderful things in the lives of others, if not my own, that I laugh at any temptation to doubt his existance.

Josh
 
Congratulations, you are human. 👍

Even if you can find this “leap of faith” you’ll always catch a nagging doubt sometime in the future… I would highly wager that everyone at some time has had doubts about their faith many times in their lives… I get them about weekly…
It’s when you begin to fall into believing these doubts that they become troublesome…
Everytime I have one of these doubting moments, I look into my heart, deep into it… And I come out with a truth… What that truth is… Well, you’ll have to find for yourself…
Then, I say the Glory Be and pray for Guidance, Strength and Courage. Guidance from the Holy Spirit to do what the Father wills, Courage to speak the Word of God and have faith, and Strength to resist sin and believe.
 
Sure, I used to all the time–and it was distressing and scary. My priest told me to “brush the doubts away like little gnats,” which of course I couldn’t do…I went through a horrible, horrible few months. But then it sort of sunk in, to not rely on my own feelings and senses, but to accept that I’m human and these thoughts are my trying to take control, when it’s not me in control. Now (and this is quite a bit after those horrible months), when the doubts creep in, I just meditate on this as a temptation and not to rely on my feelings, but rather to rely on the Gospels.

Penitent
 
I think it brings Satan much pleasure to shake those who are truly obedient and truly faithful to God…take it as a back-handed compliment. 🙂

Of course I won’t even pretend to know exactly why you are having these doubts, but that’s my best guess.
 
I, too, sometimes wonder, “Is all this real, or is it just over when we die?” But then I think about all the evidence for Christ and who He really is, and I can’t help but know He is who He says He is. Besides, if this life is all there is, then we won’t know the difference when we die, but if it isn’t, then we’ll know it forever. I’m not willing to risk that.

JU
 
I think I read somewhere that Theresa of the Little Flower often was plagued with doubt.

But now she’s not only a saint, she’s a Doctor of the Church!

If you are being plagued by doubt, you are normal. What would be the benefit of having faith if it were not sometimes difficult to believe?
 
You possess a lot of courage to admit what many of us don’t say aloud.

I do often pray this quote in times of struggle. “Lord, I believe, help me in my unbelief”.
 
Sometimes I lose faith in people who do not appreciate the knowledge and experiences being given to them by their mentors.
:tsktsk:

Yet, I still pray for them.
👋
 
Dear friend

Where faith is concerned, doubts are the sign that you are truly on the right track.

Nothing in life makes any sense whatsoever without the Cross.

Doubts, temptations, trials and many sufferings are part of the narrow road, embrace them as a dearest friend.

Persevere.

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa
 
I doubt myself constantly, always looking for clues from elsewhere for signs of correction. My false self seems to take pride in the self-conscious facade that says: “I never claim to hold absolute truth, although I have my opinions which may or may not be absolute.”

The problem is, the true face behind that thin facade is, “Of course I think I’m right, because if I didn’t think so I’d change my mind, duhhh.” – which is actually just a negative version of “I’m so afraid I’m going to make a mistake and get yelled at.”

Alan
 
Dear friend

Where faith is concerned, doubts are the sign that you are truly on the right track.

Nothing in life makes any sense whatsoever without the Cross.

Doubts, temptations, trials and many sufferings are part of the narrow road, embrace them as a dearest friend.

Persevere.

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa
 
Several years ago, I was assailed with temptations against faith, doubts, whatever you want to call it. For weeks, my life was just ruined by this - everything I held dear was being questioned, everything I had done for God was potentially worthless, and I possibly had no future! I was mighty unhappy about the whole thing. I kept limping along, trying to pray, going to an extra Mass during the week when I could…until one day I couldn’t stand it any more and I asked to meet with a priest to talk about it. We agreed to meet after the morning Mass the following Saturday. When I got to Mass, it turned out to be the feast of St. Thomas! The doubter himself! I laughed and laughed at how God had this little chuckle at my expense, and my doubts melted away.

By the way, when I mentioned it to the priest, he asked me if I thought I was unusual in having these doubts. He made it very clear that my problem was common.

I don’t ever want to go through this again, so I am careful what I read, and when little questions pop up in my mind, I flee from them, as the Little Flower taught us to do with any temptation.

May God bless you richly!

Betsy
 
Kay Cee:
I think I read somewhere that Theresa of the Little Flower often was plagued with doubt.

But now she’s not only a saint, she’s a Doctor of the Church!

If you are being plagued by doubt, you are normal. What would be the benefit of having faith if it were not sometimes difficult to believe?
Click to expand...
Yes, it is well recorded that several saints went through periods of doubts and feelings that God had abandoned them. Ironically, those people who were around the saints never felt this sense of abandonment, because they could see the grace of God every time they saw the saint.

I heard Mother Theresa experienced severe depression somewhere around five years ago.

NotWorthy
 
I am a person who was also attacked by doubt almost everyday.

The worst attack was when i am in front of Jesus in the Eucharistic adoration Chapel. I feel really unworthy to doubt God s presence in the eucharist.

After that doubt i go to confession and tell that to the priest.

After confession what i did was to pray really hard until i just realise i am already crying.

God is so good that even you have doubted Him still He will not abandon you.

Now still the devil works on my mind but i already know how to fight satan.

Prayer is your shield against satan.
 
Yes Mother Teresa had severe doubts, this after she gave up her comfortable life as a nun in Loretto convent, gave up everything in fact to live in the slums of Calcutta with the beggers, the lepers, the destiute and the dying. So strong were her doubts that she even had a rite of exorcion, I believe carried out. But in spite of this she carried on, exhorting her sisters, consoling the dying and the sick she cared for . If she, so holy, so good was subject to doubts what are we?
Think of it this way. When we submit to our dear Lord, we live a holy and worthful life, would you, even, even if the church was not true, would you live anyother way? Once you think of it like that, the doubts disappear, for sometime anyway.
 
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