Certainty in the Uncertainty

By Stacey Wilson

Lately, the Richter scale has seen its fair share of news headlines. The first quarter of 2010 left its mark in history as a period of earthen instability – thousands and thousands of people shaken from their normal routines within a matter of seconds, many of them changed forever.

The ground shifting beneath us, however, hasn’t been the only unsteadiness we’ve felt these past few months. Lingering economic problems, more terrorist attacks, and heated political climates have also contributed to a sense of global shakiness.

And then there are the seemingly ever-present personal issues “us girls” deal with that can shake us pretty badly: Will I ever find the right guy? What will I do after I graduate? Am I really where I’m supposed to be in life?

Uncertainty.

It can prevent us from moving ahead with confidence. It can paralyze us from making important decisions. And it can permeate us with a sense of uneasiness that makes life just plain hard sometimes.

When I find myself in this boat of apprehension, waves crashing around me in the middle of the deepest ocean, I can usually look back on my journey out to sea and realize that it was just me paddling.

There will always be uncertainty in life; the apprehension comes when we lose sight of who’s in control, who should be paddling with us. You see, there’s certainty in the uncertainty.

John captured these words of Jesus in his gospel account: “In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

It’s certain that we will have trouble in this world. It’s also certain that Jesus has overcome it. So how do we live in the midst of the world’s uncertainties with confidence?

I think these verses in Proverbs 3 sum up what our actions should look like: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Straight. I like that word. It implies that even in the crookedness and debris of life, our paths can cut right through the heart of unexpected obstacles. We can become living examples of Christ’s overcoming power in this world. That’s how we’re supposed to live; trusting that God will make our path straight even when we don’t know if there’s a fallen oak tree somewhere up the road. We don’t have to know where the tree will be or how we will get past it, we just have to trust that he’ll provide an axe or the strength to climb over it.

Staying constantly focused on who is ultimately in control of the storms and tragedies that affect our lives can take the sting out of uncertainty. Each obstacle is an opportunity to experience more of God’s grace, mercy, and provision. When we look at our uncertainties in this light, we can’t really be moved.