“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”
Romans 11:33-34
Google is my go-to source for quick answers.
- When I want to know how old someone is, I google it.
- When I want to see the menu at Local Taco, I google it.
- When I’m looking for a TED talk on slow living, I google it.
But Google doesn’t know everything.
Google can never replace God.
So when Google doesn’t satisfy and God seems slow to answer, how do we handle our uncertainties?
This month we are focusing on renewing our minds through our attitudes in the new year (so far we’ve looked at optimism and gratitude through humility).
But what do we do when we have this attitude: “I NEED TO KNOW NOW!”?
The Insecurity of Uncertainty
When we don’t know whether to call the doctor or which job to take or even what to make for dinner, we can feel uncomfortable. Our brains don’t like gaps. We like to know. And when we don’t know, we can feel anxious or afraid.
Our insecurities can lead us to doubt God’s goodness. They can spur us to hoard today’s resources when we’re unsure of the arrival of tomorrow’s resources. They can paralyze us against timely decisions as we stall for more and clearer information.
And conversely, when we’re too proud of what we think we do know, we can become harsh and judgmental and legalistic (1 Corinthians 8:1 – “knowledge puffs up, but love builds up”).
How to Accept Not Knowing
What can we do with our doubts? For 2017 we can resolve to do these three things to make peace with uncertainty.
1. Resolve to see grace in the gaps
Look back over your life. Were you given 100% complete information before you decided where to live or married your spouse or settled on a major? No.
But in the midst of our lack of knowledge, God has always been faithful. Even when we’ve made bad decisions.
If we turn our backs on His guidance, He still never turns His back on us. Through the consequences, He provides a path forward from any mess we create, if we’ll seek it.
Look for the grace He’s giving you in this moment. He has armfuls of new grace every morning to fill in all our gaps of uncertainty. Resolve to acknowledge His presence as your constant companion.
“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23
2. Resolve to be content with less information
Let’s face it. We’ll never know everything we want to know in this life. And that’s a good thing. Some things we don’t need to know. God sometimes spares us by not revealing the very things we ask to know.
Can we trust God in 2017 to keep us posted on what we need to know? Yes. When we are less greedy with having to know, we can settle into uncertainty as a protective place. God won’t keep us in the dark unnecessarily, so let’s not force His hand into showing us more than what’s helpful.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my [God] ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:9
3. Resolve to embrace mystery
Finally, let’s resolve to thank God for handling the enigmas in our lives. Can knowing that He knows be enough for us? While being in-the-know can initially seem comforting, we’re not wise enough or strong enough to handle the responsibility.
But God is. He has absolute power. He has infinite wisdom. And He has unending love to manage our lives in the best possible manner. Be grateful for that.
“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.”
Psalm 139:6
Grow Your Faith
Do these resolutions mean we lock down our brains and stop trying to learn more? Of course not. God wants us to excel in everything, including knowledge (2 Corinthians 8:7). Wise people store up knowledge (Proverbs 10:14). Keep studying. Continue learning.
But our faith flourishes when we trust Him even without perfect knowledge. Making peace with uncertainty leaves room for God to work. And for us to move forward.
Even when our minds are questioning, our hands are shaking, and our mouths are mumbling, “I just don’t know,” we can place our security in God’s omniscience.
We don’t have to understand everything along our journey.
But we can understand enough to show up with God for the ride. That’s faith.
Not even Google can explain that.
Do you like to know everything, too? What’s your comfort level with uncertainty? How do you make peace with what you don’t know? Let’s talk in the comments.
Related:
Your words never cease to speak to my heart, Lisa, but these words today are especially for me. Thank you.
I’m glad they speak to you, too, Mary. I’m definitely preaching them to myself today. It’s not easy to make peace with uncertainty. Grace, Lord.
“Resolve to be content with less information.”
Wow, you’re reading my mind! But this is evidence of trust, isn’t it? So thank you for saying it that way (and for giving me a smile with your Google introduction!).
I’ve got a hunch that both of us love our information, being the avid readers that we are. :) I agree with you: as we seek to be content even with what we do not know, it is evidence of trust. I want to trust even more. Thanks for your encouragement, Michele.
This is great, Lisa. My I suggest another resolution?
Resolve to be fully present in each moment, because you can be present in neither the past nor the future, and trying to is a waste.
Yeah, it’s a Zen thing.
http://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2017/01/your-dying-spouse-257-overwhelmed.html
Yes, you may, Andrew. That’s a beautiful addition. Staying present in the now–where God is most fully present–is a great antidote for so many things that can trip us up. Thanks for sharing!
Excellent post and reminder, Lisa. I like that you pointed out that it takes humility to accept our place. We are the created… we’ll never grasp the mind of The Creator. It’s children trusting in their Father to protect and guide them. That faith is the most comforting thing we can have.
Great thoughts, sister. Thank you.
And your thoughts fit in perfectly with what we’re about to memorize in Psalm 121. Recognizing who we are and who God is can bring us peace in ways that other things cannot. Thanks, Floyd, for emphasizing the importance of humility. I’m hoping it will continue being your word for 2017 as well. :)
Thanks, Lisa, for the reminders. I was thinking of all the research we did before our last two moves, and then thinking of Abraham and Moses and Phillip and others whom God just told to “go” – and not much more than that at first! Yet with all our research, there are still many unknowns. I’m thankful we can trust them with Him. Sometimes, too, it really is better not to know ahead of time what’s coming. I’m sure the Israelites would have been overwhelmed to have gotten a sneak peek at what was ahead for them when they left Egypt. But God’s grace is sufficient for each need each day.
Good points, Barbara. I can’t imagine the faith it took for them to move with so little information to go on. I probably would have still been standing there trying to get more information out of God before I budged. :) Yes, sometimes it’s better that we do NOT know what is ahead of us. God knows what we can handle ahead of time and what we can’t. “God’s grace is sufficient for each need each day”—amen to that!
Uncertainty can be hard. I worry too much about what the future holds for our families and many hurting everywhere in this world instead of surrendering it all into God’s hands. He’s got us! This line especially spoke to me – “Look for the grace He’s giving you in this moment.” Amen. Thank you for this reminder, Lisa. Love and hugs!
I hear you, Trudy; I worry too much about the future, too, instead of just letting God handle it. My imagination runs away with me, when instead I need to just stay present right here with God. I’m making progress, though, so I thank God for His grace in moving me forward. Every little bit counts, right? :)
I was most moved the idea of trusting God with less knowledge. Sometimes we want to know just how God is going move, but we really only need to know that He is. Thanks for a great post
Exactly. I’m an information junkie and would prefer to have all the details up front, but thankfully for my own good, God doesn’t work that way. :) I’m sure I would be terrified if I really had all the knowledge that I *think* I want. So grateful God is much, much wiser than we are! Thanks for sharing here, Nichole.
This was soooo good!! I have been in this exact spot. God was teaching me similar lessons endings last year and beginning this year. Loved your 3 suggestions. Thank you for this added encouragement today:)
Thanks for your confirmation that God does indeed work through uncertainty, Gretchen. We all have things we’re unsure about in life. Instead of expecting otherwise, we might as well accept it and find God in it. I appreciate you sharing that you’ve been through this, too.
All three of these are vital to growing our faith! My flesh wants to know it, to feel some sense of control, yet it’s only through the trusting and the waiting that my faith in God and His plan can flourish.
So true: through trusting and waiting, God can do many things in us! Thanks, Tracey.
You’re speaking to my heart, Lisa. Especially #2! Yes, I agree completely – sometimes it’s just not our time to know, but I’m grateful that God does. Thank you for sharing this encouragement.
I struggle with #2 also. I’m typically greedy for more information. I have to remember that even that greed is not good for my soul. Thanks for sharing, Tiffany.
I love that–“see grace in the gaps,” Lisa. What a great way to express it. I also am shaking my head with embracing the mysteries in life. God is a mysterious God who cannot be figured out, so why do we try so hard to make sense of the mysteries in life? Thanks for inspiring us with your beautiful perspective on life, my friend. So encouraging!
I can’t explain it either, Beth…why do we still try to figure out the mysteries that are far above us? I want to be satisfied that I don’t have to know everything myself. So grateful for a good, good Father whose perfect knowledge is for us!
Hi Lisa! This is a wonderful reflection for me, as I am facing a time when I don’t have any answers. I still continue with physical therapy, but nothing seems to be helping. It’s hard not to have firm knowledge of healing, and it gets me down at times.
I like your list of three things to focus on in this tough time. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us, and especially me. I could use some tools to help me along.
Blessings,
Ceil
I’m glad this means something to you, too, Ceil. But I’m sorry for the mystery of your pain. It can be frustrating when healing doesn’t come as it’s “supposed to.” :( I pray that this uncertain time will bear fruit sooner rather than later for you.
These resolutions are so practical, but could be revolutionary. Thanks for sharing them, Lisa.
You’re welcome, Heather. I appreciate your encouraging words. Thanks for stopping by.