Skip to content

Menu
The Crossing » Columbia, Missouri The Crossing » Columbia, Missouri

Events

Give
I Am New
Plan a Visit
Live Stream
About
What We Believe
Vision and Values
Staff
Partnerships & Missions
Baptisim
Grounds Ecology
FAQ
Stories
Ministries
Adults
Children
Students
College
Care
Resources
Events
Serving
Giving

trust God when you're anxious and uncertain

How To Handle Uncertainty about the Future

Posted on August 26, 2020August 27, 2020

By Patrick Miller

I like to plan, and I like to know what the plan is. I’m okay with the plan changing, but I want to know what’s going on. Right now, I can make a long list of all the things I don’t know. And I know I’m not alone. We hate uncertainty. It’s the worst. We even prefer the certainty of bad news over uncertainty. At least then we’d know how to prepare for it. But despite how we try, we can’t do anything to make all the uncertainty go away. Even when we think we’ve got things figured out, something like (ohh, I don’t know…) a global pandemic happens. And the uncertainty about the future feels insurmountable.


Prefer to listen? Patrick and Keith discuss more about how to handle uncertainty in this episode of Ten Minute Bible Talks.


So how do we handle this uncertainty?

Well, the good news is, this struggle is not unique to us and our current situation. We see people struggling with uncertainty all over the Bible. This overwhelming uncertainty is especially true in the lives of Jesus’s disciples. Imagine what life was like for them in the days following Jesus’s crucifixion. This man that they had left everything for was brutally killed by the Roman empire for insurrection. And they were known to be his followers. The Gospel of John tells us they were huddled away together behind locked doors, trying to guard themselves against their scary, uncertain futures.

In John 20, the risen Jesus appeared to them. And he said four words: “Peace be with you.” This was exactly what they needed to hear. But it was the very thing they had a hard time believing. And we are no different.

What did Jesus mean by, “Peace be with you”? Didn’t he know how crazy things had gotten since his arrest? This was not a peaceful time. We can actually learn a lot about what Jesus meant by thinking about what he didn’t say.

Jesus didn’t say, “Peace be with you because everything will turn out the way you hope.”

Instead, Jesus offers a peace that is not dependent on life going a certain way. This is a good thing. When the peace in your life is not dependent on life turning out the way you want it to, you can have peace in even the most difficult circumstances. Uncertainty doesn’t feel so life-shaking because it’s based on something more sure. This solid foundation for peace is God’s trustworthiness.

When we believe that God is trustworthy, we can hold onto everything that he promises as true. God is with you. He’s at work for your good. He loves you and nothing can get in the way of that. This world is not the end. You have a purpose and a family and a home that will last forever.

When you build your life on things that can be taken away, you’ll be filled with anxiety. You will worry. Because all your fears about losing those things might actually come true.

But when you build your life on Jesus and the things that cannot be taken away, anxiety goes away. You have nothing left to worry about.

Jesus didn’t say, “Here’s the plan. Let me lay it all out for you.”

Instead, Jesus gives the disciples a mission. As much as we want to know what’s going to happen next, that’s not what we need to know. All we need to know is the direction we’re headed.

This is an important perspective because it allows you to turn the obstacles in your life into opportunities. When you know the direction you’re headed and you come across a roadblock, you know what to do. You have to keep moving forward toward your goal. God has a purpose for you that cannot be derailed, so unexpected twists and turns don’t have to be scary.

Walk by faith, not by sight.

Because we know the direction we’re headed, we can move forward in our lives with confidence. This is not because we can see the road ahead, but because we trust God. We have faith in him to keep his promises.

This means that, as uncertain as things might feel in the present, we do know the plan after all. God told us in his promises to us. We know how it all ends: with Jesus as the the victorious king.

Confidence in that future joy gives us the freedom right now to love and serve others without fear of uncertainty.


Just like the disciples, experiencing God’s peace can seem easier said than done. Sometimes we need to hear the truths we know about God again and again, especially in times of uncertainty. In this post, you’ll find a list of sermons, podcast episodes, and articles about trusting God in hard circumstances.

READ NOW

1 thought on “How To Handle Uncertainty about the Future”

  1. Sarah Steska says:
    August 28, 2020 at 10:00 am

    Thanks, Patrick!
    Reminds me of the old song.”Trust and Obey.”
    “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way. To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

    I am sending your words to a very close friend of mine who is in palliative care with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. She’s a devoted follower of Christ, but will appreciate these thoughts.
    Sarah Steska

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • 3 Reasons You Should Watch The Chosen This Spring
  • How to Serve in Columbia, Missouri this Spring
  • Jesus’s Resurrection Turns Raging Cynics into Hopeful Optimists
  • What Does God Want You to Do Next?
  • How to Actively Engage with What You’re Watching

Recent Comments

  • Jack Bragg on Why I’m (Sometimes) Embarrassed To Be a Christian
  • Dorn Schuffman on The Mysterious Benefit of Being In Person
  • Sarah Steska on Why I’m (Sometimes) Embarrassed To Be a Christian
  • Sherrill on 4 Lessons You Need After the Storming of the U.S. Capitol
  • Karen FENSTERMACHER on Why (and How) to Pray for Our New Leaders

Archives

  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • December 2019
  • June 2019
  • December 2018
  • December 2017
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • December 2014
  • December 2013

Categories

  • Bible
  • Books
  • Christmas
  • Church Resources
  • Coronavirus
  • Current Events
  • Devotional
  • Easter
  • Family
  • Music
  • Podcasts
  • Rest
  • Summer
  • Television
  • Things To Do
  • Uncategorized
  • Who Is Jesus?
  • Work
  • Every Square Inch


The Crossing » Columbia, Missouri


3615 Southland Drive, Columbia, Missouri, 65201 | 573.256.4410


  • Entry Point | 
  • Calendar | 
  • Photo Credits | 
  • Give