Doubt Is the Enemy of Imagination

In James 1:5-7 it says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” (NIV)

Doubt is the enemy of imagination. When I was a young kid, I had a great imagination. But the older I’ve gotten, the more my imagination grows rusty. I stop imagining the way things could be, and I just start living the way they are. I can get stuck in the status quo.

Doubt and fear neutralize what God wants to do in my life. It takes courage to imagine. Most people don’t imagine anymore because they’re afraid of failure.

Courage is doing the thing I fear the most. If I’m not afraid, I won’t need courage. Courage is when I’m scared to death and I say, “I’m going to do it anyway.”

I should do it so that I don’t let fear dominate my life. I need to move forward despite my trembling.  

Courage is when I do the right thing while I’m afraid. I shouldn’t wait until all my doubts are gone, but rather move forward against my fears. I need to ignore all the insecurity I’m feeling and just go for it.

James 1:5-7 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord” (NIV).

My imagination is either going to be governed by fear or it’s going to be governed by faith. That’s a choice I get to make!. If I let fear govern my imagination, I’ll end up being freaked out,  stressed out, and worried all the time. When I allow fear to control my imagination, I’ll end up living a miserable life.

So, I need to decide that I’m not going to allow fear to dominate. I’m going to let my faith dominate. I’m going to trust in God. When I do then I’ll be able to move forward in faith and allow my imagination to be filled with all kinds of possibilities—because all things are possible with God.

I’ve recently started a coaching practice to help others transform their behaviors and thoughts regarding finances. I have a tremendous amount of experience in the practical sense, along with completing the Ramsey Financial Master Coach training. I have a great support group that I can continue to learn and draw from as being part of the Ramsey Preferred Coaching network. Unfortunately, I let my fear of creating interactions with others get in the way of being able to work with people and make a difference. Today’s devotion reminds me that I do need to trust God with the vision he has given me, and take the courage to move forward in faith, counting on God to guide my interactions. I need to pray and believe in faith to execute the dream and vision he has given me.