111. The Hidden Danger Behind Doubting God and Holding Onto Control - And Why You Should Trust Him Instead

In this episode of Curious for Christ, we uncover the hidden danger of doubting God and holding on to control. These fears and doubts can secretly choke the Word of God in our lives, keeping us from His blessings and purpose.

What You’ll Learn:

• How doubt and fear limit God’s work (Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David)
• The Parable of the Sower: why heart “soil” matters (Mark 4; Luke 8)
• Common thorns that choke God’s Word:
  1. Worries & Anxiety – Pray and release control (Philippians 4:6–7)
  2. Comparison & Discontentment – Cultivate gratitude (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
  3. Busyness & Divided Focus – Practice stillness (Psalm 46:10)
  4. Fear of Not Measuring Up – Lean on God’s grace (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Practical Steps:

• Turn worries into prayer
• Write three things you’re grateful for each day
• Spend 5 minutes daily in stillness with God
• Speak Scripture over fear and doubt

Closing Thought:

Doubt and fear are tools of the enemy, but trusting God fully sets you free. Tend your heart, cultivate your soil, and watch His promises flourish.

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Transcript

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Welcome back to Curious for Christ. Today we're diving into a topic that touches all of us, the hidden danger of doubting God and the fear of letting go of control. So often we think our doubts are harmless or without any consequences. Other than us or that holding tied to control is just being responsible. I'm just being a perfectionist. We can even justify. But the truth is both can choke the word of God in our lives and keep us from the blessings and purpose he has planned for us. So in this episode, I want to show you how doubt and fear can secretly limit God's work in your life. How the enemy uses them as tools to distract and discourage you. And most importantly, how choosing to trust him fully can set you free and allow his promises to flourish. It is actually the only way, Welcome to Curious for Christ. Do you ever find yourself lying, awake at night wondering about God's plan for your life? Maybe you wake up with big dreams, but feel unsure where to start or what your next step should be. If you're curious about exploring your faith and finding purpose, then you've come to the right place. Hi, I'm Alexandra. I too felt lost and sure of the direction my life was taking. I yearned to understand my purpose and have someone guide me, but I kept telling myself I was too busy. The timing wasn't right, and my lack of clarity prevented me from being consistent until I found Christ. He brought peace into my life and revealed the way to find purpose by anchoring myself. In him. In this podcast, we'll journey together exploring the Bible to gain a deeper understanding of him and cultivate your own personal relationship with Christ. So open up your Bible, put in those earbuds and listen up because God is speaking to you. He's making everything new and you don't wanna miss it. Let's get started. part one. Recognizing the enemy's tools, the enemy wants us to believe that what God has for us is smaller or less than what we hope for. He whispers doubt and fear, making us question God's promises or think his plan is impossible. But scripture shows the opposite. God's plans are always greater than we can imagine. Let's look at a few examples. Abraham, for instance, God promised Abraham a nation through his descendants in Genesis 12 verses two to three. God said, I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you. I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. Yet Abraham doubted at times and in Genesis 16, he tried to fulfill God's promises through Hagar instead of waiting on God's timing with Sarah. Even so, God remained faithful and his promises was fulfilled through Isaac showing that human doubt cannot thwart God's plan. It has consequences, but God's plan prevails. Moses and the promised Land. God promised the Israelites a land flowing with milk and honey. Exodus three, verse eight. But when the Israelites sent spies to explore the land, fear and doubt crept in numbers 13 versus 31 through 33 shows the spies exaggerating the challenges, which caused the people to hesitate. Because of their fear. A generation wandered in the desert for 40 years, yet God's promise remained true. He had not changed his plans for them. Numbers 14 verse 30. Joshua and the conquest. When Joshua became leader, God commanded him to conquer the promised land. Joshua won verses three through six. The Israelites won many battles, but Joshua 13 verses one through seven shows they initially claimed only part of the land, fear and incomplete obedience limited their experience of God's full provision. Still, God's promises were not diminished. His plan was greater than their initial victories. David, even King David faced moments of fear and doubt. In one Samuel 17, he confronted Goliath when all the Israelis were paralyzed with fear. David trusted God's power, not his own saying The battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands. One Samuel 17, verse 47. His trust demonstrates that courage and faith unlock God's promises while fear and doubt can hold us back. So what's the lesson? Even God's people can be limited by fear, doubt and hesitation. Yes. And God's promises do not fail. So those are two truths. But his plans are indeed bigger than our doubt, stronger than our fears, and greater than anything we can imagine. Ephesians three, verse 20. So when doubt creeps in, remember it's often the enemy trying to shrink God's vision for your life. It may feel like God is limiting you, but that's a lie. Just like in the garden with Adam and Eve, the truth is God is faithful and his promises stand firm despite our hesitation. So when doubt arises, question your doubts not God. Choose to trust him. God will never fail, but doubt can delay the fulfillment of his promises in your life or even pass them on to the next generation, part two. The parable of the sower. Jesus said in Mark four and Luke eight, that God's word is like a seed. It's full of life and power, but the condition of our hearts determines whether it grows, worries, distractions, pleasures, and doubts are like thorns. They choke the seed until it bears no fruit. So if you've ever wondered why God's word doesn't seem to change your life as much as you'd hoped, remember, it's not the word that's weak, but the soil of our hearts. And the good news is that soul. Can be cultivated, your heart can grow and learn to trust God, but we need his help to change it. And it requires a choice. It requires from us to walk in obedience and not allow doubts or worries to choke out the word again. Part three, let's identify these thorns that are choking the word of God and making it ine effective in our lives so I'll go over here some common thorns. I can choke God's word and share a few practical ways that we can uproot them. Number one, worries and anxiety. What chokes the heavy cares that weigh on our heart? How to grow, turn worries into prayer immediately. Philippians four verses six, and seven say, do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition with Thanksgiving. Present your request to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. So practice when anxiety rises, pause, resist the temptation to worry and instead pray. Lord, I give this care to you. Guard my heart and my mind with your peace. Number two, comparison and discontentment. So let me be clear here. I'm not judging or pointing fingers. This is something actually I struggle with myself. I used to think comparison and discontent weren't part of my story, but God showed me that they are, and instead of ignoring them, I'm praying that he removes them because ignoring sin only allows it to grow like a seed that eventually chokes God's word. So when God reveals something in us, it's not judgment. It's his love. He wants to free us from anything that hinders the beautiful, effective work he is doing in your life and in my life. I just wanted to share that because I'm not judging. I am struggling with the same thing that everyone else does. So what chokes here is the feeling of being not enough or longing for what others have, how to grow. Practice gratitude daily. One Thessalonians five, verse 18 says, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus practice each night write down three things God gave you that day. Big or small, because gratitude tills the soil so joy can grow. Let me repeat that. Gratitude tills the soil so joy can grow. Number three, busyness and divided. Focus what chokes here, it's rushing from one task to another, leaving no margin for God. You know when we get excited and we make decisions, we pray that they're right, but then we find ourselves in the same place learning the same lessons. It's because we haven't fully learned to walk with God. We act independently. We make choices that aren't in line with him. They seem good, but they're not in line with him. We are not waiting on him. Anyone can relate. Hm. How to grow, create stillness before God. Psalm 46, verse 10 says, be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth, not Alexandra practice. Set aside just five minutes a day to be still with him. No phone, no task, just silence and his presence. And then yes, present your request just like the previous verse mentioned. Present your request and wait to hear God. Number four, fear of not measuring up. What chokes here, it's the pressure to perform or to love perfectly that can weigh heavily on us. I believe that God's heart is tender here. I've seen his grace in my life. He gives us space to understand where that pressure comes from and to heal, yet perfectionism and even frustrations when our plans don't go as expected, often reveal a lack of trust in God and his grace. So how to grow. Receive God's grace. Second Corinthians 12 verse nine says. But he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you. For my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me. Practice when self-criticism comes, speak scripture back. His grace is sufficient for me. His power is made perfect in my weakness. And repeat it until your heart believes it and is at peace because this is enough. His grace is sufficient. That's what God says. Part four, To wrap up, I wanna talk about choosing trust over control. Doubt and fear are dangerous. And, not because they seem harmful at first, but because we often think they're protecting us or helping us make safe choices, the hidden danger is that they actually do the opposite. There are tools the enemy uses who knows us so well to stop us from trusting God fully. The enemy uses our triggers to keep us from fully trusting God or to undermine his work in our lives, and our responsibility is to know ourselves well, so we can turn to God in prayer, talk with other believers to bring it into the light. Repent and stay close to him. And then stand strong and grow and help others with those. So the enemy, of course, does not want that at all. We have to understand what's really happening. So it is crucial to understand what's really happening here. Because again, these doubts and fears are not for our good. They are meant to stop us from living fully as God's chosen people and receiving his blessings and then be a blessing to everyone. I understand that It is. It is human to doubt. But look at all these biblical examples. Abraham wrestled with doubt. In Genesis 16. Peter struggled with fear while walking on water. Matthew 14 verses 28 through 31, and Joshua hesitated in conquering the promised land, Joshua 13. And in each case, doubt and fear threaten to limit god's work. But it's trusting God that allowed his promises to prevail. If it's not with you, it will be with someone else, but the promise is for you. So what will you do And trusting God is active, not passive. It's saying, Lord, I may feel fear or doubt. I feel it all because my heart is open to you God, but I choose to believe your promises and step forward. In faith, when we do this, we remove the enemy's tool and that opens the door for God to fully work in our lives. Hebrews 12 verse one reminds us, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Removing fear, doubt, and distraction makes space for God's work To flourish. So this is it for today, my friend. I just wanted to share that growth doesn't happen overnight. Again, half grace and soil doesn't change in a day, but small, steady rhythms of prayer, gratitude, stillness with God and truth will keep your heart soft and ready. I had love to pray, but before we pray, here's a simple way to start tending your soul this week. When worries and anxieties arise, pause and bring them to God in prayer. Philippians four, verses six through seven. Each evening, write down three things you're grateful for. Big or. First Thessalonians five verse 18, and then set aside just five minutes each day to be still with God, five or more, but just five minutes at least without distractions, and let his presence fill you. Psalm 46, verse 10. These small, steady steps will help soften your heart and make space for God's work to take root and for his promises to flourish in your life. Now, let's pray together. God, I give you my heart today. I lay down every worry, every fear, every distraction. Thank you for the gift of my life, my family, and every blessing that you give us. Teach me to rest in your grace instead of striving to be enough. Make my heart good soil, soft, open and ready for your word to grow. Protect me from anything that would choke your truth in me. Fill me with your spirit and let my life bear fruit that brings you glory. And I pray the same for everyone listening here today, in Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for listening to Cures for Christ today, if this episode encouraged you, please share one key takeaway by leaving a review. And make sure to subscribe so you don't miss future episodes. Remember, doubt and fear are tools the enemy uses, but trusting God fully sets you free, tend your heart, cultivate your soul, and watch his promises flourish in your life. Bye for now. Hi, I hope you enjoy today's episode. If so, would you like to take 30 seconds and share it with a friend who may also struggle with knowing God and his purpose for their life? Also, leave a review on Apple Podcast and let me know what topics you'd like to hear about in the future. Your voice matters. I'll meet you back next Friday. For another episode.