Facing An Uncertain Future

 “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.   

There have been many times throughout history where people would pause, look around and honestly admit they faced an uncertain future. Today is no different. It would be difficult in today’s culture to be a person who thrives on being in control. 

It can be scary not knowing what’s going to happen. We experience fear and anxiety. Yet, we also have dreams and aspirations. We can’t simply hide away and try to live our lives with as little risk as possible. Being risk averse means we lose the fullness of life. 

Instead, God calls us to live with courage, gratitude, and joy, trusting and listening for God’s guidance and resting in God’s unfailing love. Change and danger are constants in life. If we are going to live our lives as fully as God intends, we have to open ourselves to all of the challenges, risk, danger, occasional boredom, disappointment, as well as love, peace, and joy that we are likely to encounter. God sees all the possible outcomes from a very complicated and messy set of circumstances and will guide us to the best possible outcome when we trust God completely.  

In Matthew 6, Jesus is reminding His followers that they don’t need to worry or stress about the future, their security, or anything else. He uses imagery and parables, turning His followers’ attention to the birds, noting: “Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?” (v. 26) Jesus goes on to say that God already knows what we need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (v.34)

When you read those verses, you realize that we have a God who meets our needs. But we must stop thinking of God as a backstop in case our efforts to control our life and circumstances amidst a pandemic fail. Whenever we get caught up in worry over the future, we need to remember that God will take care of us. It requires a decision to trust Him and not to jump in before we have a resolution from God.   

 We are all facing an uncertain future. If you are worried or stressed about that future, don’t panic. It’s amazing how the heart changes, learns, and grows from these times. It’s not always easy but trusting God is the solution for an uncertain future.  

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you fear and how does it affect the way you live? Does it lead to anger, worry, or anxiety?
2. What can we do this week to trust God in an uncertain future