Living in uncertainty
Posted: Wednesday, July 20, 2011 5:51 pm | Updated: 5:53 pm, Wed Jul 20, 2011.
Have you ever found yourself in a situation and simply did not know what to do? Have you ever felt like the odds are against you? Are you in a place where you just do not have the answer?
Maybe you planned something and then it does not happen or you are in a place in your life where you cannot plan too far ahead because things are uncertain. How do we walk in this place? I have recently found myself in all of the above situations.
When my late husband was diagnosed with a rare cancer, suddenly our plans for our lives changed in a day. I quickly realized there were many unknowns in the world of cancer, and I had no guarantees in life.
We had raised our three kids and started our second honeymoon. The words "Joe, you have a very rare cancer" not only changed his healthy world but also my plans for the two of us.
Life was suddenly uncertain, and I wasn't a fan of the unpredictable. If I made a plan, it was changed because of chemo, a doctor's decision, test results, etc.
In reality, all of us live in uncertainty, but most of us just don't realize it. None of us have any guarantees in life.
The company you work for goes under and you are out of a job. Your child is in a wreck. Your teenager tells you she is expecting. Your mate suddenly has a heart attack and is gone. The list goes on.Our certainty must be rooted in the nature of who God is. He is faithful when life is uncertain. I never know what is around the corner, but for me, loving God and walking with him through life gives me something to hang on to. Although I do not know what my future holds, I do know who holds my hand if I let him as I walk in life's uncertainties.
The Bible has an answer of how we are to navigate through such a season. I found it in II Chronicles 20 in a story about King Jehoshaphat.
Several vast armies were coming against his kingdom and he did not know how to handle it. What I love about this great leader is how he handled his questions and problems.
He modeled for his people seeking and magnifying God, not his situation. Jehoshaphat declares in verse 12, "For we have no power against this vast army that has come against us. We know not what to do but our eyes are on you."
He does not deny his problem but humbly admits he does not know what to do and then declares that he will keep his focus on God.
God responds to Jehoshaphat's problem by saying the battle is not Jehoshaphat's battle but God's. God tells him to not be discouraged or afraid and to "set himself, stand firm and see the salvation of his God." Wow. All of a sudden Jehoshaphat is in a pretty secure place. All the king of Israel has to do is focus, stand and worship God. We could all take a lesson from this king.
Worshipping God is a powerful weapon because it aligns our focus with the one certain thing in life - God loves us and is for us. Giving thanks to God (because all blessings come from God), reminding ourselves that his mercy trumps any sin we have committed, is an amazing way to do battle against what comes against us. The end of the story says that, after Jehoshaphat defeated his enemies, it took his people three days to collect all the blessings. Rest and peace came to his nation.
I daily face things for which I have to answer "I don't know" or "I don't know what to do," but I am beginning to say "I don't know yet."
Keeping my focus on God, his faithfulness and love and me constantly having a song in my heart helps me find the answer I need. It also helps calm my soul while I live in the YET.
For me, I have adopted the mindset that trials or crisis are adventures. It is not a good adventure story unless something goes wrong and character overcomes the challenge. I believe we have a God-given right to overcome in any situation we face when our heart is right and we focus on Him.
I have decided to follow Jehoshaphat's example to keep my eyes on God, seek him for what I can learn in the adventures of life and have fun. A good song keeps a spring in my step as I take his hand and round the corner of uncertainty.
Kathleen Maxwell is a public speaker, author and the former executive director of the Christian Women's Job Corps. Contact her at Kathleenmaxwell1@gmail.com,
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To order a book written by Kathleen or hear her speak on various topics, email her with your order.
Book -Wake Up To Who You Are! - $4.00 (includes shipping)
CD’s: All CD’s are $3.00 plus shipping
Wake Up To Who You Are (understanding your value and worth)
Walking In Peace I and II (learning to walk in peace in life’s stressful situations)
Focus and Praise (a powerful way to navigate when you do not know what to do)
Handling Crisis (how to manage in times of crisis)
You Are An Overcomer (you have a God given right to get the better of any situation)
Living Out of Your Value Instead of Your Needs (we have have needs but should live from our value)
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