SELF DOUBT: HOW CAN YOU OVERCOME IT?

There is a thrill that comes with the inception of a project. The initial feeling is undeniably good, but after a while, doubt can start creeping in and you wonder if you are qualified for the task you have just embarked on? Will I add value to those that God has called me to effect? Will I be able to keep up and be consistent?

Maybe you are wondering if you have what it takes to do the things that God has called you to do. Or maybe you have had people around you question if you are qualified and now the same voice is whispering in your ear, telling you that you are not qualified. Whatever the case may be, doubt is an enemy of progress and can hinder you from stepping into your purpose. In life, we all go through seasons where we feel unqualified and almost feel like we are way over our heads. These thoughts can hinder your progress and cause you to give up on your purpose. You can start even self-sabotaging yourself by asking yourself questions that fuel the doubt even more.

Some questions you can ask yourself are;

• Is my voice even needed?
• Am I good enough?
• Do I have the experience needed?
• Why would someone want to hear my story or buy my products?
• Others have done what I’m doing. Could it be that I’m a copycat?
• Why bother? The market is overcrowded.

Have you had these questions pop up on your mind of late? Have you had moments where you are tempted to give up on what God is calling you to because you doubt your capabilities? Then this word is for you. First off, the people who end up doing great things go through moments of doubt. They, however, do not dwell there. These people get to the point where they do the thing they intended to do and try again, even after they fail until they become successful. So never assume that the presence of doubt is confirmation to not go ahead with the plan. Rather, let doubt fuel you to step into your purpose and do it scared. We can never know the future, but when we step out in faith, God will meet us there and we will get to the other side.

Peter, doubt, and Jesus( Mathew 14)

 Shortly before dawn, Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said and cried out in fear. ²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

When the disciples saw Jesus walk on the water, they initially were frightened. And so Jesus spoke and told them not to be afraid. Peter then asked Jesus to call out for him if it was Him. Jesus did so and Peter stepped out of the boat and began walking on the water. As long as he was focused on Jesus, he could walk on water. He lost his balance the minute he focused on the waves and that was when he began to sink and called out to Jesus. Jesus heeded Peter’s cry and came to his aid.

Anyway, the point I wanted to put across was that the act of stepping out in faith allowed Peter to experience something the others did not. Peter realized that he could do the impossible when he stepped out in faith and focused on Jesus.

You, too, can do the same. You do not have to stay stuck in the status quo, you can do the extraordinary. But for you to do that, you will need to step out of the boat. Of course, the enemy of progress will fight you and try to hinder you from getting to the life of walking by faith. But if you allow the voice of faith to speak more than you allow the voice of fear, you will be okay. There comes a moment where both fear and faith get to coexist and choosing faith becomes a moment-by-moment decision.

Example of people who experienced doubt in the Bible

It is very normal to experience doubt and feelings of inadequacy in our lives. Even some of the greatest men and women in the Bible experienced the same, and once they overcame it, they delivered nations. Sometimes they stepped out in faith, filled with doubt. But they chose to do it anyway because they recognized the value of walking by faith and not sight.

Moses

When God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, He did not focus on the fact that he stammered or that he lacked the authority. Moses’ focus was on all the things that disqualified him and did not see himself as God saw him. He thought that the fact that he had failed before and even faced rejection, he would never succeed in it. When God calls you to something, know that He has already equipped you for it.

Moses’ background involved living in the palace with Pharaoh as a prince since the pharaoh’s daughter had adopted him. They had trained him to live as one with authority did. God had set up the foundation in such a way that Moses’ training would come in handy. He knew the ins and outs. He was used to having people listen to him, but because of his wilderness season, he forgot who he was. Moses allowed rejection to hinder him from stepping into his purpose. This just goes to show that God had qualified Moses, despite his speech problem. You should never allow other people’s limitations to limit you, too. And also never allow people’s rejection to define you.

Esther

When Mordecai found out that Haman had passed a law using the seal of the king to annihilate the Jews, he asked Esther to do something because he knew she could. Esther did not realize the authority she had as the queen, and she felt unqualified to make a change. She did not know the power and authority she now had access to because of her position. Because she grew up as an orphan, she had accustomed herself to thinking that her voice did not matter.

Can you imagine the doubt she had to doubt her authority while in the palace? She was still stuck in the past and viewed herself as an orphan with no voice. Thank God that Mordecai saw her for who she was, and after his convincing, she took a hold of her authority and saved the Jews. Imagine if she had given in to her doubts and allowed fear to creep in? What would have happened to the Jews?

In both stories, Esther and Moses, we see how important it was for them to overcome doubt and fear and step confidently in their God-given purpose. The other thing to note is that although they did not realize it yet, God had already given them the grace and favor to handle their assignments. Their saying yes led to the deliverance of an entire nation and exposure of the enemy’s plans. Some people need your voice and your story for them to experience their deliverance. You realize it is bigger than you.

How can you overcome doubt?

Do not stay stuck in the past

When God calls you to do something, He often overlooks the past. It is not because He does not know what happened in the past. Rather, it is because He knows that He qualified you. And you are capable of what He is calling you to. God had already trained Moses while he was in the palace. The wilderness too was a training ground. The fact that he had to look after the sheep in the wilderness meant he knew the ropes around there. This meant that he would be the best person to lead the Israelites in the wilderness for the 40 years they were there.

Isn’t it funny that the same things we think disqualify us are the very things that qualify us? Moses knew the wilderness so he would effectively lead the Israelites.

You are no longer defined by your past. That you are saved means that the old has passed away. You are now a new creation. Esther, on the other hand, allowed her past to define her. So much so that she lived in the limitations that God had already freed her from. She had a voice and was now in a place of authority. But she still lived like one with no voice.

Is this you? Has God placed you in a place of authority? Has your past hindered you from walking in the fullness of who God created you to be because your past is always speaking to you? Maybe you are afraid that people will not like and accept you because of your past. Has imposter syndrome taken over you? Let me speak this truth over you. You are not an imposter. Whatever God has called you to do, you are the best person for it. And just because it has been done before, does not mean it has been done your way. There is still space at the table for you to shine.

Realize that doubt comes from the enemy.

The devil knows that when you walk in your purpose, you will be a threat to his kingdom. So because he could not stop you from getting into your purpose, he will try to derail you by using doubt to stop you from progressing and having dominion. God created you to be a solution to the world. Your unique skill set and experiences are needed to solve a problem. God placed a unique attribute inside you that He wants to unveil through you to the world.

The devil tempted Jesus to make Him doubt His authority and identity, but because Jesus knew His purpose; He did not give in. When you know the schemes of the enemy, you will overcome, and even if you fail, you can always dust yourself and rise

.

Know who you are.

When you know your identity, there is nothing that will faze you. David knew his identity in God, and that’s why Goliath did not faze Him. He knew he had the backing of God and with Him all things are possible. David did not allow his elder brother’s criticism to cause him to backtrack. He pushed through until he got his reward. The reward after you overcome is greater than the doubt you are experiencing right now.

For you to know your identity, you need to have a relationship with God. Your identity is found in Jesus. Having a relationship with Jesus is simple. Believe in your heart that He is Lord and confess with your mouth and Jesus will save you. You do not need to complicate things. Once you have a relationship with God. The next thing you need to do is to read the Bible. It is in the word that you will find out what God says about you.

The Bible is a love letter that God wrote to you. It contains all the instructions and guidelines that show you how to live and also tells you what God says about you. When you allow God to validate you, you will be able to easily overcome doubt when it creeps in. The reality is that you will have moments of doubt. But when you recognize that God is the one who validates and equips you, you will be ready to step into your purpose.

Let the doubt become your motivation

Let the doubt fuel your drive to level up in the area you feel inadequate. You can always learn these skills There are online courses, YouTube videos, and books that can help you in branding yourself in a way that’s unique to you. The same materials can also help you find your voice.

God has given you a purpose unique to you. He knew what He was doing when He created you as you are and had a destiny for you even before you were born. Maybe you feel inadequate in certain areas.; let’s say you are not skilled in public speaking. Instead of allowing that inadequacy to slow you down in your purpose, ask God to help you. He tells us it is in our weakness that God’s strength is revealed. When King Solomon realized his inadequacy. He turned to God and asked Him for wisdom, and God granted him his request.

God has given you something unique that only you can birth here on earth. God created you to be a solution here on earth. You are not a mistake and your voice is valuable. When God said that He has a plan for you with a good expected end, believe Him.

What areas of your life have you given room to doubt? Are you ready to embark on your God-given assignment, doubt be damned? When God calls you, He does so according to your potential and not your past or present. God is waiting on you to bring all those parts of you that disqualify you.

Silence the noise

The external noise should not prevent you from stepping into your calling. You should not give people that much power in your life. This is because when you do, you will always live a mediocre life when God called you to an extraordinary life. You were created to do big things and change the world your way. So why allow other people to define you. If God says you are a conqueror, why allow others to tell you you are not? He is the one who created you so He knows you better than they do.

Conclusion

Overcoming doubt does not have to be complicated. You don’t have to wait until you do not doubt to do what God is asking you to. Sometimes you will need to do it scared and allow the strength of God to fill you. You need to realize that you can do all things through Jesus who strengthens you. You do not need to know it all because you have Him who is overall.

God wants to be the one to guide you every step of the way. He wants to show you how far you can go with Him. But for you to step into that path, you will have to silence the doubt and fear. And if you cannot, maybe it is time for you to do it scared. Just like Peter, Jesus will catch you when you fall. But you will not get to experience that if you do not step out of the boat.

The most remarkable people in the world are the ones who step out of the boat and do the thing scared. It is uncomfortable, but that only means what you are doing is bigger than you.