As Jesus drew Peter from the water, He asked a simple, yet profound question: “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”[1] At first it may seem like the Savior was unsympathetic and harsh toward Peter. But when we look at the meaning of one word, we see the nature of the Lord’s question change and we realize something that can help those who experience doubt.
The word “wherefore” means, “the point reached or entered or the direction headed.” In essence, Jesus was asking, “How did you reach the point of doubting?” or “Why did you get to the point of doubting?” or “How did you get headed in the direction of doubting?” The Lord was not chastising Peter as much as He was asking him to evaluate his spirituality, the source of his doubt, and the direction the doubt was taking him. The Lord’s question was an introspective one, meant to encourage Peter to look within himself and figure out how he got to the point of doubting. How was it that he walked on water for a time but then sank? Something had changed within Peter and the Lord wanted him to figure out what it was.
Doubt destroys faith. The Lord knew this and wanted Peter to overcome his doubt before it damaged his faith any further. No wonder the scriptural commands about doubting are so absolute. “Doubt not, but be believing,” declared Moroni.[2] “Doubt not, fear not,” said the Savior.[3] Because doubt is the mortal enemy of faith, the sooner we help our doubting friends and loved ones take a sincere look inside themselves and identify the source of their doubt the quicker they can dispel them and preserve their faith.
The ability to dispel doubt in others is a gift of the Spirit. We should seek for it when we need it. The beloved hero in the book of Daniel was blessed with it. His use of it, however, is overshadowed by the other gift he was given—the interpretation of dreams. At a time when king Belshazzar was “greatly troubled,” the queen (it is usually the queen in my life that has the answer) came to him with a solution. “There is a man in thy kingdom,” she informed him, “in whom is the spirit of the holy gods.” She continued, “Forasmuch as an excellent spirit…and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel.”[4] Just as Daniel aided king Belshazzar to discover what troubled him, we too can ask the Lord for the gift to dissolve doubts. When we seek to help those who are troubled with doubt, let us do so, just as the Savior did with Peter, in a way that promotes personal introspection to discover the source of their doubt.
