God’s Holy Scriptures provide us all kinds of assurance of His love, not least in His articulation of our doubts. God cares about our faith struggles and included words of doubt for us to connect with so that we would see that He sees and understands us. Don’t let doubt drive you away from God, but rather allow His own expression of your doubt to draw you closer to Him.
Insecurity in our relationship with God is a fairly common experience. While many of us can be reassured of God’s love fairly easily, for some individuals, anxiety over their salvation can be so intense that no amount of reassurance can provide comfort. In such cases, our greatest hope is to turn to the God of comfort who anticipated that we would have these doubts about Him. God describes our doubt in His Word in order to draw us closer to Him.
There are a number of different reasons why someone may struggle with the assurance of God’s love, but consider these three common reasons. First, consider contextual influences. While our context does not cause us to do anything, it does influence us. It impacts us in significant ways. Things like childhood experiences and parents can have a profound impact on our sense of God. Perhaps you experienced God through an abusive parent, or abusive pastor, youth leader, or Sunday school teacher. All childhood trauma impacts us deeply, but trauma that associates God with our abusers makes it particularly difficult to see God as loving.
Second, consider personal influences. Our own personality can also play a part in cultivating doubt. Some of us are wired in such a way that faith is particularly difficult. Take, for example, someone who struggles with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Some individuals who struggle with OCD may feel that they have sinned even when they can’t identify anything specific. Others may constantly struggle with a need to perform some routine to merit favor or earn God’s love. But even apart from mental illnesses, our own dispositions can add layers of complexity to our relating to God. Hyper-sensitivity can make us exceedingly aware of our unworthiness. General insecurity can make us fearful and reluctant to approach God. Perfectionism can create a constant frustration with our religious performance.
Third, consider scriptural influences. This factor may seem strange; after all, the Bible speaks plainly about God’s love for us. Yet, the Bible also speaks about God’s judgment against sin and sinners, His displeasure over wickedness, and His perfect moral character. That can be intimidating when we are already struggling. As a result, many who struggle with the assurance of salvation tend to overemphasize, misread, or misapply the various passages that speak of God’s judgment against sin.
It is helpful to know some of the common reasons we may struggle with doubt. Think about your own life and your own struggle with assurance. Do you see any of these elements contributing to your doubt? Identifying what contributes to your struggle allows you to tailor a response to those influences as you fight the good fight of faith (1 Tim. 6:12). Yet, Scripture offers us greater help.