Believe, Don't Doubt

"Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do." -James 1:8

How many times have you doubted your decision to homeschool - one, two, ten, more? I lost count of the number of times I failed to trust in God's provision and care. As a Christian parent, I knew we would never succeed if I continually allowed my emotions to be tossed around each time something went wrong. Doubt may be a natural human response, but either God had told me to homeschool or He hadn't. Instead of looking at the waves of adversity, God asked me, "Will you walk by faith and trust in my leading?"

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Like the man looking for help to heal his son in Mark 9:24, I cried out to Jesus, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" Meeting me in my limited faith, the Lord gently showed Himself faithful as I sought His wisdom to homeschool each day. God first encouraged and empowered me with the truth of Deuteronomy 6:7 and other verses where God commands parents to "impress them (Scripture) on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." Next, He provided constant encouragement through several loving homeschooling families. Facing doubts of their own, we found strength together in prayer to fight unbelief (see Matthew 18:20). Most of all, the supernatural answers to prayer and the Holy Spirit's guidance confirmed that our family was indeed walking where God desired.

If your doubts are outweighing your faith in homeschooling today, the Lord is waiting to show himself mighty to you. Like Thomas, He doesn't want you to doubt any longer. Simply cry out and He'll show Himself to be Lord of your homeschooling. "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" (James 1:6).

-From the Homeschool Mom's Bible; devotions by Janet Tatman; p. 601