How to Overcome Doubt as a Christian

When you are trying to overcome doubt as a Christian, you may wonder whether fear means your faith has disappeared. Peter’s experience offers hope: he began to sink gradually, and Jesus was there to catch him. What fills your attention can strengthen faith or give doubt room to grow. (Earlier in this series: “What Happens When You Leave the Shore” and “You Have to Position Yourself for a Miracle”.)

How to Overcome Doubt as a Christian When Fear Grows

Matthew 14:30-31 (NKJV) says, “But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’”

Peter did not go from walking confidently to drowning in an instant. The words “beginning to sink” show that fear and doubt can gather gradually as attention becomes fixed on what looks threatening. Recognizing that movement gives us a chance to turn our attention back to Jesus and respond to Him.

This is encouraging for anyone who has felt fear rise in a difficult season. Peter’s fear did not put him beyond Jesus’ reach. He cried out, and Jesus immediately caught him. The passage shows where to look and whom to call when fear starts to take hold.

The warning signs may be subtle at first. A worry can occupy more of the day, or a problem can become the only thing we think about. Peter’s story gives us hope in that gradual moment: we can recognize what is happening and call on Jesus before fear overwhelms us.

Why Little Faith Was Enough for Peter

Jesus called Peter a person of “little faith,” even though Peter had stepped out of the boat and walked on the water. We do not need a huge supply of faith before we can respond to God. Faith is not the problem; unbelief can weigh down the faith God has given us.

Andrew compares faith to a helium balloon. The balloon has the ability to rise, but weights attached to it hold it down. In the same way, unbelief can weigh on the faith God has given His people. Our hearts can become occupied by thoughts that resist what we believe.

In Matthew 17, the disciples asked Jesus why they could not cast a demon out. Jesus answered, “Because of your unbelief,” and went on to speak of faith as a mustard seed. We do not need to strain for impressive faith; we need to deal with unbelief that works against the faith we have.

What You Consider Shapes Your Heart

Romans 10:17 (NKJV) says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Faith comes by receiving God’s Word, and doubt grows when we take our eyes off Jesus. To “consider” something is to focus on it, study it, ponder it. Whatever you keep considering begins to dominate your heart. That’s why meditating on God’s Word matters so much: the promises you return to are the ones that take root.

Peter did not sin by seeing the wind. The wind and waves were natural conditions. But as he focused on them, he became afraid and began to sink. A person can become absorbed in the natural world without deliberately choosing sin. When every possibility is judged only by what human strength, money, or expertise can do, the heart can become less responsive to God’s supernatural power.

We still have to pay attention to the natural world. If someone asks you to drive to the airport, you keep your eyes open and use the road in front of you. We work, make plans, and meet ordinary responsibilities. We can attend to the natural world and still expect God to work beyond it. The trouble comes when the natural world is all we believe exists. God’s Word shows us that life includes a spiritual reality beyond what we can see, taste, hear, smell, and feel.

Jesus said in John 6:63 (NKJV), “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” Scripture reveals realities beyond what we can see. Daniel prayed, and God sent an answer from the first day. The messenger explained that the prince of Persia had withstood him for twenty-one days. Daniel 10 shows a spiritual conflict behind the delay, giving us room to keep trusting God when visible circumstances are difficult to understand.

The Bible also shows God directing events in the natural world. David once received instruction to circle behind the enemy and wait until he heard movement in the tops of the mulberry trees before attacking. The wind became a signal connected to God’s direction. What we see around us can be part of a larger spiritual reality.

Why Success Can Make Us Vulnerable

Success can make people less aware of their dependence on God. When pressure lifts, it can be easy to assume we are secure because of our own ability and forget to keep our hearts attentive to Him.

David’s failure came after he had reached success: he entered into sin with Bathsheba and arranged for her husband Uriah to die in battle. Prosperity is a blessing, and our attention and dependence still matter when life is going well. A heart can drift when it stops looking to God, whether circumstances feel frightening or comfortable.

The same part of you that hears the devil is the same part that hears the Lord. In Andrew’s words, “It just depends on which way you’ve got your attention focused.” Turn your attention toward Jesus and what He has said while carrying out your responsibilities and facing the facts in front of you.

The story doesn’t end with Peter sinking. Matthew 14:32-33 (NKJV) says, “And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Truly You are the Son of God.’” Only a day earlier, those same disciples had watched Jesus feed five thousand people with five loaves and two fish, and they didn’t respond that way. Seeing Him on the water moved them to worship. Doubt can be reversed. The attention that drifted toward the wind can turn back to Jesus, and when it does, faith rises again.

If you notice fear growing, bring your focus back to the Lord. Peter’s faith was little, but it carried him toward Jesus. When Peter cried out, Jesus caught him; His hand was already within reach.

This post draws from How to Become a Water Walker, Episode 10 by Andrew Wommack. Watch the full teaching on YouTube.