Banish Doubt: Dare to Live Out Your Purpose, a 5-Day Devotional Plan by Arris CharlesSample

Banishing Doubt: A Practice to Pursue Your Purpose with Peace

Imagine walking through a funhouse at a carnival. You find yourself surrounded by mirrors. As you look around, you see that each mirror distorts your reflection in exaggerated ways. Seeing these false images of yourself might be fun, but you know they do not reflect who you really are.

Our negative thoughts are like those funhouse mirrors. They skew our self-image, causing us to doubt ourselves and become anxious about our ability to fulfill our purpose.

Negative thoughts create doubts, and then doubts reinforce negative thoughts. In this cycle, we struggle to find peace with who we are and what we are called to do. We hesitate to move forward.

Drawing on the wisdom in Philippians 4:6-9, we learn an essential truth. Approaching God in prayer with gratitude and presenting our specific concerns to Him gives us the gift of His peace beyond our understanding.

We can trust that God, who gives us this profound peace, is with us in every situation as we seek Him and focus our thoughts on what is godly and uplifting.

Recognizing our negative thoughts empowers us to shift our thinking away from what causes doubt and toward what brings peace as we pursue our purpose.

When doubts whisper, take a moment to notice what you are saying to yourself.

• Search the Scriptures for principles and promises that speak to your thoughts, feelings, or circumstances.
• Write down meaningful verses and meditate on their truth.
• Recite them aloud and integrate them into your personal praise and worship.
• Ask God to help you internalize these truths and take steps forward with His peace.

What we think matters. A consistent practice of evaluating our thoughts and aligning them with God’s truth is essential to overcoming doubt and confidently stepping into our purpose.

Pursuing the peace of God allows us to pursue our purpose with more clarity and confidence. When our minds are at peace, we easily silence distractions and discern God’s guidance. Peace in our spirit allows us to trust God’s timing and face challenges with patience and resilience.

As we surrender our thoughts to the peace of God, our hearts are filled with hope and assurance that He will fulfill His purpose in our lives.

What do you focus on that leads you to doubt yourself and your purpose? What might God want you to focus on instead?