Even when you feel confused, remember that God is not. Emotions come and go. Truth remains forever.
Don’t Understand?
Things happen we don’t understand. We get confused. We get anxious.
What happens to our faith in these moments?
Sometimes we run from God. We don’t see Him coming to our rescue. So we get impatient and go outside the boundaries for help.
Or maybe we freeze up. If God isn’t giving us a clear answer, we become paralyzed into inaction, waiting for total clarity before we make any move at all.
But there is another way.
A Better Option
- Keep asking; keep listening.
It’s easy to give up hope when you’ve been asking for God’s guidance for awhile, and the answers haven’t come.
But God honors stamina. Keep asking. Keep listening.
- Remember Jesus’s parable about the persistent widow (Luke 18:2-8).
- Remember Jesus’s teaching about knocking and seeking (Matthew 7:7-8).
- Remember Jesus’s saying the Father gives good gifts to those who ask (Matthew 7:9-11).
Keep hope alive. God has good things for you on the other side of confusion.
- Take baby steps in a positive direction.
When you don’t know which direction to turn, sometimes you do nothing. And sometimes nothing IS the right thing to do.
But what if God is waiting on you to step out of the boat? What if He wants to grow your faith by helping you walk on water?
Sometimes your baby steps of faith, even when you’re unsure, are just enough to get you around the corner. And discover the light around the bend.
God does not despise small beginnings (Zecharian 4:10). Neither should you.
Even the faith of a small mustard seed can move a huge mountain (Matthew 17:20).
And if you unintentionally choose the wrong direction in your confusion? Trust God to redirect your steps. He can turn you around and point you in the right direction (Philippians 1:6).
- Remind yourself the victory is already yours.
Preaching truth to yourself helps you overcome the urgency of emotions.
When you feel you’ll never understand what’s happening and confusion is overwhelming you, it’s time to remember that you have already won the battle. The victory is already yours. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).
Even in the fog, there is solid ground to stand on.
In Christ, you have already passed from death to life (John 5:24). No person or no situation or no confusion can snatch you from His hand (John 10:28-29). You are saved by His grace, despite what your emotions may be telling you (Ephesians 2:8-9).
God Knows
Whether you can see Him or not, God is at work behind the scenes for your good (Romans 8:28). Hold on to His truths. Trust in His knowledge. His understanding is beyond measure (Psalm 147:5).
And when the time is right, your faith during the night will result in praise during the day.
Emotions come and go. But truth remains forever.
“But even if we don’t feel at ease, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.”
1 John 3:20 (CEV)
When have you felt most confused? How did you break free of the fog? Please share in the comments.
These are good reminders, Lisa. Anyone in uncharted water can find comfort and hope if they keep their focus on God.
Thanks, Debbie. Those uncharted waters can feel so disturbing, but yes, it’s wonderful that we have an anchor to keep us steady even in those times.
Good reminders, Lisa. We all have those times when we are totally unsure of the next step. God is our stability even in the most unstable situations.
That “next step” is often the scariest. We are indeed blessed to have God’s steady arm with us every step of the way. Thanks, Barbara.
When we can’t see the next step, it’s easy to lose our way. Thanks for encouragement to trust in the midst of uncertainty — which makes so much sense, since we say that we “walk by faith and not by sight.” We’re so attached to our own vision!
Exactly, Michele. Even when it’s frustrating, we know that we are to walk by faith and not sight. It’s just not easy. Thanks for adding this insight.
This is a powerful case for perseverance in seeking our Father and his will. “Pray without ceasing” came to me as I read this.
And the point about reminding ourselves that our battle is already won. This time is so fleeting compared to eternity.
Thanks, Lisa.
Perseverance, yes. In our Father’s Day sermon this morning, the pastor spoke of the Power of Perseverance. Not giving up is a critical character trait in all our roles, including our roles as parents AND as children. Thanks for adding this to the discussion, Floyd.