In the drawer, around the closet, under the carpet, on the ceiling, and over the kitchen counter—red ants bombard the whole of my house. These little creatures don’t stop for anything. They have a goal and they’re determined. If you want to stop them, you’ve got to be tougher, stronger and even more determined.

That’s how doubts come into a person’s life. They are pests. They come in all forms—something you saw, a comment you heard, an idea formed in your mind, and feelings you have. Doubts can fill a person’s mind to such an extent that he or she ends up simply clueless of where to go or what to do next.

Many Christian women have this state of mind. They’re so involved with their doubts that their faith is useless. They pray but see nothing happen.

They go to church but hardly ever benefit from it. Everything goes wrong for them, especially concerning their love life— that’s where doubts reside the most.

Doubts, like pests, all come from somewhere. Once they find a gap in your life, they bring along more of their colleagues: worries, fears, anxieties, complexes, sadness, depression, suicidal thoughts, and the list goes on. They infiltrate a person’s life in such a way that some people do actually think about killing themselves.

Isn’t that strange? You spend your whole life avoiding accidents, getting help from doctors, and running from danger… but then end up wanting to kill yourself!

That’s exactly what doubts do. They mess up your state of mind. They’re as cold as roaches crawling all over you. Not to mention the trail of dirt they leave behind! Disgusted enough? Good! That’s the way we must respond to doubts. If we respond to them just as we respond
to disgusting pests, we’d be in control of our lives.

Run from them. Scream if you must, but don’t let them crawl on you or make nests inside your head. Take that broom and crush them hard. Don’t feel sorry for them–it’s what they deserve!

Use your faith. Faith is to believe in the unseen. You’re afraid, believe it will be all right. You’re anxious, trust that you’ll get it in time. You’re not sure which way to go, pray and be sensitive to God’s voice. Let your ‘yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘no’ be ‘No’. Spray pesticides on that ‘maybe’, ‘perhaps’, and ‘I don’t know’. Use the best pest control around; use your faith.

Doubts come to everyone and they infest those who allow them in. However, you should find your target, focus on it, and fight until it’s completely gone. Don’t watch how long it takes because it’s the long-term effectiveness is what counts.

In Faith
by Cristiane Cardoso