I used to say that we live in uncertain times. While I still believe this is true, I am starting to conclude that we all live uncertain lives. While God’s truth and our eternal destiny in Christ are certain, many other factors in our lives are a bit unpredictable and unclear at times. It is the nature of the journey.
Trusting God When You’re Trapped in Uncertainty
I suppose today as you read this you face some measure of uncertainty. You may face major questions about your health, your job, your finances, your children, your grandchildren, your church or someone in your circle of friends. Clearly, we cannot avoid uncertainty in this life, but we can respond to it in a Christ-honoring and soul-profiting fashion.
The Search for Clarity
Recently I read a profound interchange documented in a book by the renowned ethicist John Kavanaugh. He tells of a time in his life when he went to Calcutta to work for three months at “The House of the Dying.” This experience was part of his heartfelt search for direction about his future. The first morning there, he met Mother Teresa. She asked, “And what can I do for you?” Kavanaugh asked her to pray for him.
“What do you want me to pray for?” she asked. He responded by explaining that he had come thousands of miles from the U.S. to find direction: “Pray that I have clarity.”
She said firmly, “No, I will not do that.” When asked why, she said, “Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of.” Kavanaugh commented that she always seemed to have the clarity he longed for. She laughed and said, “I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God.”
