Life is full of uncertainties. All of us struggle at times, some more, some less. It can be a lonely and difficult path to walk alone. We need friends, we need family, we need a loving and powerful God to carry us through. If you are struggling with the uncertainties of life and trying to be happy, you are not alone. Here is some encouragement for you.
Life gives us great joys, great times of fulfillment, wonderful friendships, and people to love and people who love us.
Yet, there are times that we each feel uncertain. Uncertain of our decision. Uncertain of our choice. Uncertain we can support a family. Uncertain we can be successful. Uncertain that we are enough.
Yes, uncertain that we are enough. That is the key to the answer, knowing that we need a personal relationship with God to make us “enough” to pilot through the rough times and to handle the challenges of each day. We see the need of a constant connection with him to encourage us, to guide us, to forgive us, and to be with us forever. If you are struggling with the uncertainties of life and trying to be happy, you are not alone.
Cautious and Deliberate
You may think that this is the most uncertain of times – ever! And so it seems. We struggle to sort truths from contrived untruths. A viral disease wracks our bodies, destroys our businesses, undermines our schools, and stresses everyone to the max. It is impossible to compare one century’s problems to another in the form of magnitude or havoc rendered; but let it suffice to say, this is not the best of times.
Yes, there are crazy people carrying on in foolish ways. But what draws my attention and encourages me – and motivates me – is all the magnificent people that I see finding ways to provide for the needs of those who cannot do it for themselves.
We may have different opinions but noble purposes that enable us to come together for the common good. A strong but meek and humble spirit is the need of the day. Let us maximize this component in our current situation. If you are struggling with the uncertainties of life and trying to be happy, you are not alone.
It is incumbent upon us to have a listening ear, a discerning spirit, and a soft word to point out any possible fallacies in a mission or plan, replacing them with helpful suggestions that would unite and empower to the betterment of the overall outcome.
Finding a Solution
It is easy to point out the problems; it is more difficult to find a working solution. We may think we cannot work with someone who does not see exactly eye to eye with us.
So, if I am an inveterate planner and cannot abide someone who seems to act on a whim, do I just throw up my hands in disgust? Someone else may elect to go full force into a project with a plan as to how to activate or finish it. How do we react to those who are not team players? Training for this begins in childhood; however, some never master the art of being congenial. Have you? Or I? If you are struggling with the uncertainties of life and trying to be happy, you are not alone.
A tongue in cheek revision of the Serenity Prayer that I recently read was altered to read “God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the ones that I can, and the wisdom to know it’s me!” Paraphrased perhaps into “May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Oh Lord.” Ps. 19:14. The solution of our problems often begins with me.
Uncertainty Enters My Plans
Many people are living in an area of uncertainty, although they at one time made the most detailed and well thought out plans. During the Covid-19 Pandemic, many wedding dates have been altered, trips postponed, and businesses have failed. The college experience is nothing like that which had been anticipated. Businesses have been forced to make major changes or go under. Families have been separated, depending on the extent of isolation that their source of support allowed.
A sense of uncertainty may be higher than ever. Yes, there are few things that have real certainty. We do our best to check things out, make plans, save money, exercise, eat well, and choose someone with whom to share our life. Then things happen.
Where Can I Find Help?
Uncertainty may undermine our plans or make us tremble and retreat. Where can I find help when everyone I know appears to be anxious? Is anyone crying for help?
“God is listening, ready to rescue you.” Psalm 34:17. What a ray of hope that is! What an offer of help! The God of Creation and Savior of the world is ready to rescue you. And me.
God has a plan for your life – you were not an accident. He is not going to leave you – no, He has promised those who trust in him that he will be with us forever.
You are a part of God’s plan. God knows your heart, your dreams, your weaknesses. He is loving you and waiting for you to reach out to him. Trust him. Let him sustain you through your uncertainties and he will give certainty to the foundation upon which you are building your life. If you are struggling with the uncertainties of life and trying to be happy, you are not alone.
Careful Consideration
Socrates is quoted: “Smart people learn from everything and everyone. Average people learn from experience. Stupid people already have all the answers.”
And so, I pray for wisdom – that I may be wise enough to turn to the God who says he is ready to rescue me. To the Christ who is Jesus who can save me.
Let us take a deep breath and take time to pray for wisdom. Wisdom is a gift from God and does not depend on one’s intelligence.
Wise people tolerate uncertainty while remaining optimistic – understanding what is true and right and knowing those things will weather the storms of all time. Search for truth and peace through fellowship with your Heavenly Father. A wise person is always in demand to clarify the situation and steady the boat.
The world needs you; your family needs you; your community needs you. Remember, you are a part of God’s plan. It is time to reach out to him and claim his omnipotent help to make you the winner, the leader, the survivor that you were meant to be. “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13.
Take steps forward after careful planning. While there is always some uncertainty, identify the possibilities and build a plan for the safe handling of those plans you have made.
Remember all great discoveries were once clothed in uncertainty. Perseverance matched with hope has produced great strides in our world. It can do the same in our personal endeavors. If you are struggling with the uncertainties of life and trying to be happy, you are not alone.
Be Kind
Be Kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.
If you are hurting today, that’s ok. So am I. It is permissible to hurt, to grieve, be sad or disappointed. We are human. But recognize and know this: God is with us. He is not stressed, afraid, nor is he overwhelmed. He has not forgotten you. He has not given up on you. We do not face the new year alone.
Therefore, I reach out to him and I find the hurt and grief and sadness diminish, and I acknowledge my need, and I hold on to my faith in God. And he carries me to a higher level through his lovingkindness and his mercies that are new every day.
Finding Purpose
We have a need for passion, purpose, happiness, peace, and joy in our lives. We need to be with family and friends. We need a worthwhile goal for our life, something with purpose and something that helps others. Volunteering energizes us. We grow when we become givers and not just takers.
What do I lack in my life to make me fulfilled? Do I need to reach out to make friends, to help the helpless, to be a part of something larger than I? If I admit that my life feels empty, how do I fill it? And with what do I fill it? Is it possible that I need a friend like Jesus who will be with me always, and will also take care of my sin problem?
Open your heart to God – Let him draw you near. See James 4:8. That’s good news for a weary people, devastated by losses, lonely and needy. God is able to supply all our needs. And his Spirit draws us to him. How tender. How loving. How needed. If you are struggling with the uncertainties of life and trying to be happy, you are not alone.
Identifying the Certainties in Life
As we face the uncertainties of this year – let me encourage you to dwell on the certainties. The promise of our Ultimate Eternal Home in Glory Beyond Your Imagination gives us hope and joy.
But the certainty is here right now – Emmanuel – God with us. He offers this peace and promise through his grace – the grace of God – given freely to all who will believe.
Some of you live alone and know great loneliness. You also know the certainty of His care and this knowledge gives you the power to share it with a friend who is having difficulties and feels all alone.
Dwell on the certainty of His Word. The promises of God’s Presence, Power, Forgiveness, Strength, Love, Peace, and Joy.
Have you ever been offered such an indescribable gift? A gift that cannot be measured? You are so loved. Believe it. Feel it.
You can depend on God. Not a promise of absence of problems – but a promise of his presence. The joy of his companionship – even the laughter together when you clearly realize that, indeed, it was a God-happening.
The certainty of the love of family and friends. The joy of a warm home, a paying job, the help of a church family, are all to be treasured. Be a part of the certainty to someone else. May no child in my purview go to bed hungry this night.
Personal note – a few years ago I was involved in developing and raising money to fund a health clinic for the underprivileged. One morning as I drove to work, I was talking out loud to God expressing my disappointment that things were looking dismal and we might not be able to stay open because of lack of funds. Just then my cellphone rang; it was an unexpected donor offering an over abundant gift for the non-profit. I hung up; bursting with joy and I looked up to the heavens and started laughing. I have said that God and I were laughing together – laughing at my unbelief in the funding of His work – not mine. As if God would allow it to fail.
This happening gave me the assurance that the plans for a new clinic were indeed His plans. The next few years were flooded with building a modern facility in an old wing of a church – a complete remodel that is used even today by a beautifully run staff to care for so many. What a thrill to be used to be his hands and feet. After nine years, I moved on leaving the ministry debt free and it continues to thrive in a lovely facility, sharing the Love of God through excellent medical care.
More than hundreds have become believers in this God of Grace and Mercy, the Great Provider in that clinic. It is in such ways that He allows us to be a servant in his plans, using the gifts he has given to each of us to develop and implement His plan and His ministry. If you are struggling with the uncertainties of life and trying to be happy, you are not alone.
Learning to Live with Certainty in a World of Uncertainty
It takes concerted effort to be a positive in a world of negatives. Simple joys add to our day and make for better outcomes.
Try this: Wake each day looking for blessings. Thank God out loud as you plan your day. If you had a clicker counter, how many times would you click it today? The coffee pot worked. The water in the shower was hot. The curling iron heated. Your kids called to check on you. The car started. The garage door worked. The sun came up. Your boss met you with a smile. Your husband/wife called. Another call came scheduling your Covid vaccine. Click Click.
Click it every time you receive a smile, hear a songbird, see a child laughing, receive a hug, laugh with a friend. You are alive. That is a certainty for the moment, so live in the moment.
I think of you and smile and click, click, click.
Forward with Certainty
Looking forward to the new year: “I am about to do something new. It is beginning to happen even now. Don’t you see it coming? I am going to make a way for you to go through the desert. I will make streams of water in the dry and empty land.” Isaiah 43:19. Wow! What a promise!
God speaks those same words to us today through Isaiah. Catch the excitement. A new year or a new beginning. And you are not alone. Did you see the promise? “I am going to make a way for you!”
Acknowledge the challenges out there. Identify the uncertainties and decide which are “your” uncertainties. Prepare mentally as well as spirituality.
Head up, back straight – go for it! You are not alone! I feel quite certain that you can handle this day with resolve, along with a bit of flair.
