When in Doubt, Throw it Out
When I was traveling, my son would inevitably find something in the refrigerator and stand there wondering “would mom think it was OK to eat this?” I remember on one occasion where he did eat something I would likely have thrown out. Not wanting to alarm him, I kept quiet. I did not want him to think, “Mom says its bad and I ate it now I’m gonna be sick!” And yes he was fine. I didn’t want to made him doubt his choice. It is usually when we get other opinions that we doubt ourselves.
Being a single parent for many years, I wanted my son to grow up comfortable making decisions and feeling good about his choices, even when he didn’t make the best ones. But this scenario made me think about why we make the choices we do. Consider this, “We act out what we really believe.” It goes with the Law of Belief, whatever you believe to be true, whether its true or not, if you believe it, then to you, it becomes the truth.
Looking at my belief system, I can’t tell you how many times I failed to act or do what I felt in my gut. I didn’t believe I could do it. I didn’t have confidence to go for it. Even now, at the ripe young age of 52, I still struggle with self-doubt. I wonder if I have missed my best opportunities. I wonder if I am marketing correctly or an I being self promoting? I wonder should I get a lawyer to handle this situation or should I let it go? What do I do? I vacillate between options.
I wonder if I am doing the right thing. I would like to say that I always do. But I would be lying. I constantly have to give myself other options and choices to bolster my self-confidence. I am still learning to really, truly believe that God wants to use me. I am still learning to let my actions reflect what God believes rather than listen to my self doubt.
It is easy to let courage slowly leak out of your heart like air through a pin hole in a balloon. You don’t lose hope all at once, just a slow leaking of confidence and trust in yourself. But God doesn’t accept our doubt as a viable option for not obeying his will and doing what he asks. He lays out the plan in front of you and I had to make a choice.
Would I continue to doubt myself because it feels safe to stay at home and work in my garden and pray for the world ? Or would I trust what God had clearly spoken to me, pick up my laptop and begin to write what Holy Spirit is speaking? Will I dare believe that God has more for me? Or will I quietly say, “Stella, you are blessed and this is enough?”
When it comes to food safety, the rule is, “When in doubt, throw it out.” I think it would be a good idea to use this rule in matters of faith and obedience in trusting the God who believes in you more than you do. Literally when you are trapped in seasons of self-doubt and unbelief—THROW IT OUT.
Paul put it this way, 2 Corinthians 10:5-6 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. KJV
God is always thinking about us. He has his ideas about our potential and capacity. What I believe about myself is irrelevant. What matters is what God believes about me. I must learn to over ride any thought in my mind about me that does not exist in the mind of God about me. Anything else is just spoiled thoughts.