An atheist spent a quiet afternoon fishing. Suddenly, his boat was overturned by the Loch Ness monster. In one easy flip, the beast tossed both atheist and boat into the air. The monster was about to swallow both. The atheist cried out, “God help me!” Instantly everything froze in time. A booming voice descended from the heavens, “I thought you did not believe in me.” The atheist said, “Come on, God, give me a break. Two minutes ago I didn't believe in the Loch Ness monster, either.”

Sometimes it's hard to believe. We expect doubters to become believers, but we don't think about believers becoming doubters. Yet, even the best of us battle with doubts occasionally. Many of us wrongly assume that great men and women of faith never have doubts.

Perhaps you are battling a period of doubt in your life. You doubt your ability to do a task that has been assigned to you. You doubt whether you will ever have close friends. You doubt that God understands the painful circumstances you are in. You doubt you'll ever be married. You doubt you will ever get ahead financially.

What's the difference between doubt and unbelief? They aren't the same. Doubt is a matter of the mind. You have difficulty understanding what's happening. You can't make sense out of your difficulties. Unbelief, on the other hand, is a matter of the will. You refuse to believe, even when the evidence stares you in the face.
When are we most vulnerable for a bout with doubt? Here are four situations when you might experience doubts.

First, when you are up and down emotionally. If your emotions have been on a roller coaster ride lately, you are an excellent candidate for a case of the doubts.
Second, when what you expected to happen is not happening. Unfulfilled expectations often leave us doubting.

Third, when your circumstances conflict with what you believe. Are troubles piled upon you right now? Are you in a dire straight and it seems there's no way out. Then, you might find your faith is a little weak.

Fourth, when you draw your conclusions from fragments of information. This happens in the workplace all the time. A tad of gossip, a little bit of information, sends you into a tailspin of doubt.

What, then, should we do with periods of doubt in our life?

Examine your doubts. When doubt raises its ugly head in your life, don't ignore it. Investigate it. Find some resources that will give you answers. Seek guidance from a trusted friend. Read your Bible. Bathe your doubts in prayer.

Next, focus on what you know for sure. Remember those fragments of information I talked about several paragraphs ago? I know individuals who live every aspect of their lives with a measure of caution and suspicion. All their decisions are based on bits and pieces of information they've heard or read. They never take risks. As a result, their faith never gets stretched and it never grows. When we focus on what we know for sure, and stand upon that, our faith reaches new heights.

Turn to God for help. When most people think about doubt, what name automatically comes up? Doubting Thomas, a Bible character. Thomas just couldn't bring himself to believe Jesus had been resurrected. But Jesus showed Thomas the evidence—His nail-scarred hands.

Take your doubts to God. He will treat you with grace and patience. Tell Him your struggles to believe, and He will give you some evidence and support to keep you going.