When first starting off in the Christian life, you may begin full of faith, joy and excitement. But then get surprised and disappointed when that doesn’t necessarily continue. You begin to struggle with questions and doubts – about God, your experience, the Bible. God sometimes feels close, and sometimes very far away.

And for some, from the very start of your walk with God, you may feel questions creeping in. Uncertainty seems to surround you while it appears everyone else seems so sure about it all.

If that is your experience, you are not failing. You are not alone. And you are not unusual.

Doubt Is Part of the Story

All of us face doubts at different stages of life. The Bible is refreshingly honest about this.

Even some of the greatest figures of faith wrestled with uncertainty. John the Baptist, the bold prophet who pointed to Jesus and called him “the Lamb of God”, later sent messengers to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11:3). He doubted.

Doubt often comes in dark or difficult seasons, when prayers seem unanswered or when God feels absent or silent. As new Christians, doubt can also arrive when our expectations collide with reality. We thought everything would change, but:

• Hard things still happen
• Old habits still tug at us
• We still sin
• We don’t always feel different

That gap between expectation and experience can quietly raise troubling questions.

What Do We Doubt?

Doubt takes many forms. You may find yourself questioning:

• Whether God really exists
• Whether your conversion was real
• Whether the Bible can be trusted
• Whether you are truly saved

The last of these – the assurance of our salvation — has been emphasised at certain points over the centuries of church history. But we must be careful not to get too introspective and bent out of shape about this. We should look to Jesus and what he says (as recorded in the Gospels), not to our own inward feelings. Learning to trust God’s promises, even when feelings fluctuate, is vital for a healthy Christian life.

What Should We Do with Our Doubts?

The goal is not to pretend doubts don’t exist, but neither is it to let them dominate us.

Here are some wise ways to face our doubts:

1. Be honest about your doubts—but don’t let them have the last word

God is not threatened by your questions. Bring them into the light. Name them. Pray them. Share them with trusted Christian friends. But remember, doubt is one voice among many and there is no reason why it should be the dominant one that determines your life choices.

2. Let Scripture form faith in you

The Bible does not remove all mystery, and can often raise some questions and doubts. But if you steadily meditate on it devotionally (choosing to put the questions aside until a later time) you find it forms faith in you. “Faith comes from hearing” (Romans 10:17). Over time, God’s truth sinks deeper and becomes stronger than our passing thoughts or emotions.

3. Learn to spend time in God’s presence—alone and with others

The Spirit wants to assure you that he is in you and near to you, but you have to learn to spend time with God, learning to cultivate that sense of his presence. And trust the promise of God’s presence with you, even when you cannot sense it. The sun is still there even when the clouds obscure it.

Also, faith grows in relationship. Personal prayer matters, but so does shared worship, conversation, and community. Sometimes others carry faith for us when ours feels a little thin.

4. Don’t stay alone with your doubts.

Find trusted and mature Christian friends who have walked this path before you, and who genuinely listen to your doubts and questions. They may help to put them in a bigger and better perspective. What looms large to you can be understood better in the context of a longer journey.

5. Avoid a simplistic faith

Seek teachers and writers who are honest about struggle, suffering, and unanswered questions. A mature faith makes room for complexity without losing hope.

6. But resist cynicism

There is a difference between thoughtful questioning and corrosive cynicism. Questioning can deepen faith whereas cynicism slowly erodes it.

7. Choose to trust God despite your doubts. 

You may not be able to answer all your questions. And your feelings are unreliable guides. So consciously choose to trust God what God says in the Bible even when you don’t fully understand it. Remember: feelings and thoughts pass but God’s truth remains. Your inner world changes daily. God’s promises do not.

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

1. What kinds of doubts have you noticed since becoming a Christian?
2. Which doubts feel intellectual, and which feel more emotional or personal?
3. Who could you safely share your questions with, rather than carrying them alone?

Putting It Into Practice

1. Pray through your doubts. Offer them honestly to God, without editing or hiding them. Wait to see if God speaks to you and you hear his voice, especially through the Bible.
2. Establish a daily rhythm of reading Scripture. Even a short daily reading from the Bible can anchor you when your feelings fluctuate. Look out for the posts here on how to get the most from the Bible.
3. Stay connected. Commit to a local church which is committed to living an honest faith, and find trusted others who can help talk through your doubts and questions.

More from the Bible

Doubting Thomas. Read John 20:24–29 slowly. How does Jesus respond to Thomas—and what does that tell you about how Jesus treats your questions? What might it look like for you to trust Jesus even while some questions remain?

Faith that speaks honestly before God. Read Psalm 73 in three parts:

• Verses 1–14 (confusion and doubt)
• Verses 15–17 (a turning point)
• Verses 23–28 (renewed trust)

This psalm shows that doubt can be spoken to God, not just about God. Note how the psalmist’s perspective changes not because life becomes easier, but because he enters God’s presence. The psalm ends not with answers, but with renewed trust.

Remember This:

“Faith is not the absence of doubt; it is the courage to go on believing in spite of doubt.” R.C. Sproul

Recommended Resources

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity – a classic and clear, thoughtful summary of the Christian faith that takes questions seriously.

John Stott, Basic Christianity – a clear and simple introduction to the essential beliefs of the Christian faith, still one of the best. It puts your Christian faith and life on a solid footing. I have written a review of it here, and a summary of it here.

Alister McGrath, Doubt: Handling it Honestly – a short but very helpful and thoughtful guide on how to handle doubt.