"A simple definition of doubt is just, it's a feeling of uncertainty or a lack of conviction. It doesn't mean when you doubt that you question everything, it just means there's an area of your life that you are struggling and trying to work through when you think about it, and who hasn't had to deal with feelings of uncertainty or areas that you lack some conviction in? I mean, I think that's something that we all have to deal with and that's really why I wrote the book. I wrote the book because of my own struggle with doubt that almost took me out. And then I realized, 'man, everybody has to deal with doubt.' Even the most confident people among us that we can think of that are so successful in life and everything they do, they're struggling with doubt in one area or another. And we've got to learn how to deal with it so it doesn't derail our life." The honest thoughts of West Palm Beach, Florida, Pastor Todd Mullins, author of "Don't Let Doubt Take You Out."
When he was 'little Todd,' he got a taste of the rudeness and words deliberately intended to hurt. "And I can remember back in first grade, second grade, little comments that were made that just fed into my insecurities as a kid. And I carried that with me. I was hesitant. I was pulled back a little bit, but there was that one thing that you're referring to that when I was in fourth grade, I showed up in a new school. Our family had to move a lot when I was in an elementary school. And we had PE class right in the middle of the day, which I don't know who came up with that idea to have PE class right in the middle of your day. You got to stop everything, go into a locker room, change into clothes with a bunch of other guys, and then go out and avoid the dodge ball. And I had just shown up to the school, the uniform they gave me for PE class was a couple sizes too small and I wasn't that athletic or in shape.
And this kid out on the gym floor said, 'Hey, you look like the Pillsbury Doughboy.' And I remember all the other kids laughing at me and I just wanted in that moment, the gym floor to open up and swallow me up. I mean, I was so shook by it. I wasn't athletic. I probably wasn't in any good shape. I was in a shape, probably a round shape. But I remember even years later after I lost all that weight and maybe got in shape, those words stuck with me. And I remember still, I mean even to this day when I eat a crescent roll, I can hear that kid saying those words to me.
And the Bible talks about in Proverbs how words have the power of life or death, they can either build up or they can tear down. And that is so true. Words that have spoken over us can actually tear us down or they can build us up and they can mark us. And so, that's why it's really important that in our homes we're speaking words of life over our kids. We're repeating what the word of God says about them because really the truest thing about you is what God says about you. And so,helping ourselves know that and repeat putting that on repeat, helping our kids know that it's going to help them avoid any identity crisis they might come up and face in their life."
Today, there's a new bully that can throw hurtful words at you: social media. "I think one of the dangers of social media is we're constantly comparing ourselves to everybody else. I've heard someone say that you're comparing their highlight reels, their best moments, yet you see all of your worst moments and you're just trying to work through it and it leads you to play the comparison game. And I just say that when you play the comparison game, nobody wins at that. It always tries to tear you down because it's not helping you value what God has put in your life and it's doing in your life because it seems less than. I mean it can be even simple things like you're happy with your family vacation, but then you come back and see where your neighbors or your coworker went on vacation and you're thinking, gosh, why did they get to go there? Why did they get to do that? And all of a sudden it's breeding a spirit of discontent with what God's doing in our lives. And we're not running our race and living our life. We're actually consumed with trying to keep up with other people, some people that we don't even know. I mean, it's ridiculous.
Paul says that you got to learn the secret of being content. He said, I've learned the secret of being content, whether having much or having little. And the problem with social media is that it breeds discontent and it makes us feel... less than."
The importance of forgiveness
"People pain is inevitable. I mean people are going to hurt you. They're going to hurt me. It goes with the territory of being in relationships with people because nobody body is perfect. And if we hold onto the pain of what someone says or does, that pain actually holds on to us. So, people pain is inevitable, but it doesn't have to be terminal. We can actually through grace and forgiveness, not carry with us those things that were said or done to us sometimes as a kid, sometimes all the way through life. And the reason I believe forgiveness is so important is because it's at the foundation of our relationship with God.
I mean, think about it. The only way we have a relationship with God is because of grace and forgiveness. And God is a great forgiver. I mean, He is so good at it. I think about all the times He's forgiven me over and over and over again. And Jesus told us that we've got to forgive 70-times-seven when our brother offends us, which just means don't keep track of it, just get good at forgiving. And the reason I think that's so important is because God being a great forgiver, He's our father - and children need to look like their father. Children need to have the characteristics of their parents. And so, if God is a good forgiver, He wants us to become really good at forgiving. And the only way that we can get good at something is having to use that muscle over and over again."
In our complete podcast interview just below, Pastor Todd shares a time in his life when doubt tried to take him out. That's the time their son, Jefferson, was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum. "And I remember that's probably when my faith was shaken the most ... I was preaching on Sundays, and doubting on Mondays." But God helped erase that doubt by miraculous action. but not all at once. And we'll hear about the famous biblical account involving Elijah and Jezebel, where harsh words totally sidetracked a powerful man of God, and how the 'Elijah effect' can happen to us as well. Listen:
"And I would encourage anybody listening that just because you doubt God in one area of your life doesn't mean you doubt God in all the areas of your life. Just because you're struggling in one situation where it's not making sense or you're not seeing God come through the way you thought he would or should, doesn't mean everything else that you know about God and that you believe about God is shaken. There's just this one area that you're working on, and I would encourage you to take your doubts and turn them into questions. Take your questions, turn those into prayers, and then take your prayers and let that turn you to God."
