Christ Has No Voice But Yours - Raising Above the Voice of Doubt

Raising Above the Voice of Doubt

How many of us want to control the situations we find ourselves in? I know I do. I am a planner and like to know what to expect when I enter a situation or plan for the future. Being a planner is not bad at all. It can become a problem when we don’t trust where God is leading us and allow doubts to get in the way of God’s work.

This scripture has resonated with me in the past few weeks as I faced something unexpected,

“The eleven went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped but doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all.”

“When they saw him, they worshiped but doubted.” I have read this verse in the past, but I never noticed the words “but doubted.” For some reason, I thought that worship would vanish all doubts. However, that is not always the case. For some of us, it takes longer to get there. It is challenging to let go and let God.

In the past two years, our family has faced some challenges that have shaken me to the core. The events that happened were nothing that I ever expected. For the first time in my life, I learned to lean into the pain we were facing. I had many doubts along the way. Yet one thing remained constant in my life: my prayer life. Every morning, I started my day by praying a Lectio Divina. I found such comfort in praying with scripture. In the past few months, things started looking like they were turning out positively. I was full of gratitude and joy for God’s love and compassion.

When things started looking like our family could see the calm in the ocean of life, another storm hit. There I was again in the midst of the storm. I asked God, “Why are we facing another challenge? Were the past two years not enough?” I was angry. Once again, I was full of doubts. “What does all this mean? Doesn’t our family deserve a break?” I felt abandoned by God. I doubted. Yet, I continued to pray. Prayer became my saving grace once again. Continuing to have that sacred time with Jesus gave me the strength to start my day with the conviction that I was not alone in facing this new challenge that lay in front of me.

I read once, “Nothing goes away until it teaches us what we need to know.” As I faced this unexpected storm in our family life, I asked myself, “What do I need to know?”

A few weeks ago, I met with a friend and shared with her what I was going through. She said a phrase that has stayed with me until now as I write this, “Maybe God is asking you to renew your trust in him.” Renew my trust? What does that look like to renew my trust in him? I prayed to Jesus, asking for my doubts to go away and for him to show me how to renew my trust in him. After a few weeks of prayer, the answer finally came; I saw myself laying my worries in Jesus’ hands, letting them go, and trusting that he would take care of our family again, as he has done so many times before.

If the disciples doubted, why wouldn’t I? Yet, they worshiped him. I continue to pray and trust that it will all work out. The lesson was clear to me as I wrote this: challenging situations are not going away because you feel you have a good prayer life. Through these challenges, life presents us with growth opportunities. When these opportunities arise, we have a choice to make. Do we face the challenge with God’s grace or dwell in our doubts and become victims of our circumstances? None of this is easy. Yet, the disciples were able to overcome their doubts by prayer and trusting God. They all did amazing things in the name of God.

Our family is closer and stronger than ever, and I thought we were already close. I am grateful for all the blessings we have received despite the challenges. Life’s challenges will continue to happen. Kevin O’Brien, SJ, mentions in his book The Ignatian Adventure: Experiencing the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius in Daily Life that “… poverty of spirit is an emptying of self so that God can fill us with life and love.” How we respond in unexpected storms of life and in moments of doubt is up to us.

Going Deeper Together:

• Read and pray with St. Teresa of Avila’s bookmark prayer:

“Let nothing disturb you; nothing frighten you; all things are passing; God is unchanging. Patience gains all: nothing is lacking to those who have God: God alone is sufficient.

• Read and reflect on Jeremiah 29:11-14:

“For I know well the plans I have in mind for you - oracle of the Lord - plans for your welfare and not your woe …”

• Read The Ignatian Adventure: Experiencing the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius in Daily Life by Kevin O’Brien, SJ

• Are you looking for a Community? For like-minded individuals to pray and share with?Consider attending one of the Ignatian Ministries’ Prayer Groups:

  • Wednesday Evenings: The second and last Wednesdays of the month at 8 p.m. Pacific Time
  • Friday Afternoons: Every Friday at 4 p.m. Central Time
  • If you are interested, please complete this form, and we will ensure you are contacted with information about the prayer groups. Reflect on your gifts and how God might be calling you to use them.

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Photo by Niklas Ohlrogge on Unsplash

Elizabeth Aceves

Liz Aceves is a passionate Catholic school educator with a decade of experience teaching Spanish. Her love for working with children and teaching them about their faith and language has been a constant source of inspiration. Liz believes that learning a second language is essential in fostering acceptance and understanding among people of different cultures. Her spiritual journey has been enriched by her discovery of Ignatian Spirituality eight years ago, and she has been an active member of the Inner Chapel community for three years. Liz finds joy in facilitating the Friday Inner Chapel Prayer group, surrounded by inspirational women. As a devoted wife and mother of two teenage boys, Liz enjoys reading historical nonfiction and spiritual books, traveling, and hiking.