Jesus and My Emotions: Week #5- Uncertainty

Whenever I think about the feeling of uncertainty, I imagine myself walking on a cloudy path. On this path, I can see my feet and the road that I’m walking on, but I can’t see what’s up ahead. I conjured this image in my mind one night as I thought about how I sometimes feel in this season of my life. I feel uncertain about many things, and most days, I genuinely feel like I’m walking along a cloudy path, not sure of what is up ahead. Have any of you ever felt this way? I’m sure you have. Truthfully, I think that we all wrestle with feelings of uncertainty at some point in our lives. We feel uncertain that we will get into the school that we want. We feel uncertain that we will ever meet a significant other. We feel uncertain that we will ever feel healthy again if we’re walking through an illness. We feel uncertain that things will work out in the way that we hope for. Uncertainty, in most cases, is a part of life. As human beings, we can never be truly certain about everything in our lives. We cannot predict the future, nor can we predict just how things will pan out in life.

Lately, I’ve found myself feeling uncertain that any good can come out of my current circumstances. I wish this wasn’t the case—but, it is. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t feel like this everyday. I do have good days—those days when I am certain that God will use everything that I am walking through for His good and His glory. However, I also have days when I find myself struggling—when the weight of my circumstances bear down on me. As I walk through this season of uncertainty, there are things that I am learning and practicing—truths that have kept me grounded, even on those days when I feel weighed down. I want to share them with you.

1. Uncertainty is normal. One thing I had to accept is that I’m not a bad Christian because I sometimes struggle with uncertainty. God isn’t going to condemn me because I struggle some days. Like I said before, experiencing moments of uncertainty is a part of being human. What I am learning to do in the midst of my uncertainty is take it to God. I talk to Him about it, and I ask Him for help to keep walking along the cloudy path, even though I’m not quite sure where it leads. If you’re struggling with uncertainty, remember that it is normal and you don’t have to bear it alone. Take it to God.

2. You can find certainty and assurance in God’s word. For the past week, I have been meditating on Isaiah 40:8 (NIV) which says, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” The more time that I spent reading this verse, God helped me realize that the one thing we can be certain about is His word. Life is uncertain. Things can change in the blink of an eye. However, God’s word will never change. We can always find assurance in His word. We can always be sure that His word is true and it is certain. In the midst of my uncertainty, I am learning to cling to the word. Some days are harder than others to do this, especially when the path of uncertainty not only seems cloudy but also dark. Yet, I still choose to cling to the word. I search with desperation for scripture verses that I can hold onto. Scriptures that will give me hope. When I seek refuge in the word of God in the midst of my uncertainty, I am always reminded that although I am uncertain about what’s next, I am certain that God’s word is true and I can hold onto His promises.

3. Uncertainty prompts you to trust God. I think this is the greatest lesson I have been learning in this season of uncertainty—to trust God in the middle of my uncertainty. To trust that just like the Psalmist David says in Psalm 23, even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil—for Thou art with me. In this season of feeling uncertain, I am learning to trust God despite not knowing what is up ahead. I am learning that I have to hold on to Him and His word, despite how things seem right now. I have to trust that He is who He says He is and that He will take care of me. I have to believe that His promises for me are true and He is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19).

This season hasn’t been an easy one. Walking through uncertainty is difficult, however, when we take it to the Lord, He helps us. He teaches us valuable lessons about life. We learn to seek assurance in the word of God, and we learn to trust Him more. I still have days when the weight of my uncertainty bears down on me, but I always turn to the Lord. If you find yourself struggling with uncertainty, I want to remind you again that it is a part of being human. You are not condemned. You are not a bad Christian. In fact, God can use this season of uncertainty to teach you, and mature you in ways that you never thought you could.