"It is time to decide to trust when in doubt, to have faith when in fear, and believe when your heart is shaken." Kathy Spampinato

When in doubt...trust. What? Does that even make sense? We wonder if we'll be disappointed by ourselves, our friends, or our circumstances. When life gets rough we get anxious about how we'll negotiate the problem. We worry about whether we'll get a promotion, have a good marriage, or ever be a good parent. We wonder if our friends will actually be there when we need them, whether they'll hold our confidences, or whether we can count on family when the going gets tough. We are anxious about our health, our family, and the economy, and the stress level is rising. Here is a quote from Harvard Health Publishing.

"A stressful situation - whether something environmental, such as a looming work deadline, or psychological, such as persistent worry about losing a job - can trigger a cascade of stress hormones that produce well-orchestrated physiological changes. A stressful incident can make the heart pound and breathing quicken. Muscles tense and beads of sweat appear. This combination of reactions to stress is also known as the "fight-or-flight" response because it evolved as a survival mechanism..."

The battle against doubt and anxiety often takes place in our thoughts, our mindset, and our beliefs. Our past may have taught us that we're on our own when we get in trouble. We might have learned that God is distant and can not be relied on when we need help. We might truly believe we're on our own to figure things out. Those thoughts are lies. They are not the truth about us, or the character of God. The enemy is the father of lies and he chooses to put negative thoughts about ourselves and others on repeat. We have followed a pattern of doubting ourselves, believing we'll never be good enough, and that God doesn't care. We have mentally agreed with the lies about God and they have become our belief system: our mindset.

We do not have to let our thoughts turn to fear and panic. We do not have to react the way we've always done. We do not have to let the stress hormones take us down a road to despair. We need to recognize that we have another choice. We can choose to believe another way. The Bible tells us that we can take our thoughts captive. We can choose what to believe an replot our course.

2 Corinthians 10:5 "We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ."

I would like to look at some contrasting ideas. The opposite of doubt is trust. Fear is defeated with faith, and anxiety disappears in the presence of peace. When our mind is not grappling with stress, our anxiety flees. Trust, faith, peace, and rest are qualities that are increased with a relationship with God. The Bible teaches us that the more we know God, the more we will trust Him, and the less we will live with the battle in our minds. We can redirect our thoughts with the truth about God from His word.

Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

Psalm 34:4,7,17 "I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles."

The fear talked about here is not the dread of terror, but an awesome respect and acknowledgement of God's love and power. He is the great Almighty God and yet He loves and cares for you. He will come to your aid. You can change your mindset! You can do this! It is a decision of your will. It does not matter what you're feeling at the moment. You can take action and decide to believe in hope and trust in faith. God will move on your behalf.

Jeremiah 29:11,13-14a "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you...."

Proverbs 3:5-6a "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on our own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

It is time to decide to trust when in doubt, to have faith when in fear, and believe when your heart is shaken.