When Doubt Creeps In

I think it’s normal, when you’re feeling called to something, to doubt. I suppose that’s what faith really is. If there wasn’t any uncertainty involved, it wouldn’t be called faith—it would be called knowing. The moments of pause, the hesitation, the questions—they’re all part of the process.

I remind myself of this often, especially during the harder seasons. Because if you’re wondering, yes, I doubt. I think about the verse, “a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways,” and it hits close to home. When I start second-guessing where I believe God is leading, I can feel myself losing my footing.

It reminds me of Adam and Eve in the garden. The serpent’s question—“Did God really say…?”—was the first seed of doubt ever planted. That same whisper still shows up today, doesn’t it? It only takes a seed, and if I’m not careful, it can take root before I even realize it.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about that connection between calling and resistance. When I start to sense pushback—internally or externally—it’s easy to assume it means I’m on the wrong path. But I’ve learned that sometimes, resistance is just a sign that I’m stepping into something meaningful.

Steven Pressfield writes about this in The War of Art, explaining how resistance always shows up when we’re doing work that matters. That perspective has stuck with me. It’s not that resistance disappears when you’re on the right track—it often intensifies. It’s like there’s a spiritual tug-of-war between who we are and who we’re becoming.

And that tension? It’s uncomfortable. It’s where doubt lives. But it’s also where faith grows.

When I think about the people in Scripture who stepped into their callings—Abraham, Moses, Mary—none of them did it without questions. They all had moments where they wondered if they were capable or if they heard God right. But they moved forward anyway. That’s faith: walking toward what God said even when everything in you wants proof first.

So when I find myself hesitating or feeling that familiar pull to shrink back, I try to see it differently. Maybe the doubt isn’t a stop sign. Maybe it’s just an indicator that I’m standing at the edge of something new—something that will stretch me.

Faith doesn’t mean I always feel confident. It just means I keep choosing to move, one small step at a time, trusting that God will meet me there.