It must grieve God when believers, often carrying their own wounds or disappointments, pull others away from faith instead of encouraging it. I have seen it more times than I would like to admit. Someone shares a story about how God clearly moved—a healing, a breakthrough, a deep sense of calling—and instead of joining in their joy, others rush in with caution, critique, or quiet disapproval.
Sometimes it sounds like, “Don’t get too excited. These things don’t always last.”
Or, “That person who prayed for you? I heard they’re not walking closely with God anymore. I’d be careful what you call a miracle.”
Or even, “You might want to keep your emotions in check. Emotionalism doesn’t belong in the Church.”
We don’t always say these things out loud, but we think them. I know I have. It can feel safer, more reasonable, to take a “wait and see” approach.
But over the years, I have found that kind of hesitancy can slowly harden into a quiet form of cynicism, and that has never once led me to deeper faith.
If I had waited for the emotion to pass before joining Youth With A Mission, I wouldn’t have gone. If I had overthought it, or talked myself out of it in the name of maturity or practicality, I would have missed moments that shaped me forever. I wouldn’t have shown up in the places where God had clearly prepared something for me to do. That kind of obedience rarely comes with all the details in place, but it always comes with the invitation to trust.
Scripture is full of examples of what happens when we let doubt and mockery take the lead.
The very first tactic the enemy used in Eden was to cast doubt on what God had said: “Did God really say…?” That question still echoes today, albeit in a different guise.
Michal, David’s wife, saw him dancing before the Lord and despised him for it. After that moment, their relationship changed. Scripture doesn’t dive into what caused her disdain, but the result was distance. David withdrew, and she was left on the sidelines of one of Israel’s most significant spiritual moments.
Thomas doubted Jesus, yes, but just once. And once he saw the truth, he gave his whole life to the gospel. (And for the record, Peter denied Jesus, but we don’t call him “Betrayer Peter.” Maybe it’s time we let Thomas off the hook.)
Jesus had a great deal of compassion for people who were seeking, wrestling, or hurting. But He was direct with those who blocked others from encountering God, especially when they did so in the name of tradition or religious restraint.
Here’s a hard truth: bowing to the fear of being deceived and rejecting faith will eventually lead you into deception. Fear disguises itself as wisdom sometimes. When it overrides trust in God, it builds walls between us and our Supernatural God.
Now more than ever, we need to be people who stir faith, not smother it. The world has no shortage of critics.
Let’s be the ones who say, “I believe with you.”
Let’s be the ones who celebrate, pray, and cheer each other on.
Let’s be steady, sincere, and boldly hopeful.
There’s already enough doubt out there. We don’t need to add to it.
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Until Next Week,
©2025 Katherine Walden
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