I don’t like it when I don’t know what’s going to happen. I want those that I know with cancer or some other issue to be healed. I want to know that things will get better in the Middle East. I want to know that everything going on is going to be alright.
We want to know it will all be ok even when it’s not ok. The uncertainty of our times is deafening. How do we live with peace even when everything around us is uncertain?
Gosh darn, I want this life to be certain, but it’s not. But what I do know is that God has been and is always in control. Although you and I struggle in the face of uncertainty, God does not.
But how do we handle all the “what ifs?” What do we do when the worst happens? How do we have peace when the “bad situation” doesn’t change?
I find such great comfort in a familiar verse in Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” This is a familiar verse to me, but I often find it hard to do. When we are anxious, our problems get bigger, and our God gets smaller. We fail to see God’s power and sovereignty over all amid what’s making us anxious.
Let’s put it in perspective…. Paul was in prison when he wrote the book of Philippians. He loved the people in Philippi and wrote to them at a time when he was suffering greatly. Paul’s goal in his letter was to encourage them to live out their faith in joy and unity. Paul knew that true joy came through his faith in Jesus Christ, not his circumstances. He had no clue what the future held but knew the One who held the future.
Paul gives us specific guidance in handling the uncertainties of life: 1. Don’t be anxious about anything. 2. Instead, pray about everything. 3. With thanksgiving, presents with God. As we choose to pray and tell God our needs and be thankful, our anxieties leave us, and peace enters. Here’s the deal: We can have peace EVEN when we face uncertainties and circumstances out of our control. Check out Philippians 4:7, the results of living this verse out: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
And who doesn't want the peace of God to transcend our hearts?
Gosh darn, I want this life to be certain, but it’s not. But what I do know is that God has been and is always in control. Although you and I struggle in the face of uncertainty, God does not.
But how do we handle all the “what ifs?” What do we do when the worst happens? How do we have peace when the “bad situation” doesn’t change?
I find such great comfort in a familiar verse in Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” This is a familiar verse to me, but I often find it hard to do. When we are anxious, our problems get bigger, and our God gets smaller. We fail to see God’s power and sovereignty over all amid what’s making us anxious.
Let’s put it in perspective…. Paul was in prison when he wrote the book of Philippians. He loved the people in Philippi and wrote to them at a time when he was suffering greatly. Paul’s goal in his letter was to encourage them to live out their faith in joy and unity. Paul knew that true joy came through his faith in Jesus Christ, not his circumstances. He had no clue what the future held but knew the One who held the future.
Paul gives us specific guidance in handling the uncertainties of life: 1. Don’t be anxious about anything. 2. Instead, pray about everything. 3. With thanksgiving, presents with God. As we choose to pray and tell God our needs and be thankful, our anxieties leave us, and peace enters. Here’s the deal: We can have peace EVEN when we face uncertainties and circumstances out of our control. Check out Philippians 4:7, the results of living this verse out: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
And who doesn't want the peace of God to transcend our hearts?
Can you trust God with those things we cannot control? Can you believe that God is sovereign, even if chaos is all around us? Can you trust that God’s ways are good and has a plan, even if it’s not what we would desire?
Take a listen: Firm Foundation (He Won't) by Maverick City Music. https://www.youtube.
Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
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