Dealing With Uncertainty in Life

As human beings we crave knowing what’s next. Dealing with uncertainty is almost harder than anything else. If we just KNOW what it is we are facing and how long we have to be strong for–it would be easier to endure. 

But more often than not we have no earthly clue what’s next. 

When I was a social worker one of my young clients (I’ll call her Lisa) asked a lot of questions.  She was only five, so I couldn’t really fault  her for it and her favorite question seemed to be “What’s next?” 

One day I promised her we would make cookies, one of her all-time favorite things to do. For days we talked about making cookies and eating cookies, and then finally the big day came.

We were elbow deep in cookie dough, when she piped up “What’s after this, Katie?”

I laughed– because I’m used to this question—and told her “Lisa, we are baking now, this is what we are doing now; you don’t need to worry about anything else.”

She needed constant reminders to be present, to be a kid, and trust “what’s next” to me.

 I don’t lose patience with her questions. If anything, it makes me sad that she is constantly bracing for the next change and questioning if I have thought ahead.

On the same day of our great cookie baking lesson, my husband and I were waiting on a phone call that we thought would tell us “What’s Next?” in our lives.

Instead of getting the answer we were looking for we were told: “keep waiting.”  As I struggled with anger and frustration and uncertainty over not getting my “what’s next” question answered, I realized how alike little Lisa and I were. 

“For this moment, you are where I want you to be.”

God spoke these words over my own impatience in dealing with uncertainty. 

My human tendency to rush ahead and eliminate uncertainty might help me momentarily feel more at ease, but it doesn’t help me develop trust, patience, or perseverance. 

5 Bible Verses About Dealing With Uncertainty

1. “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” -Isaiah 40:31
2. “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” -Hebrews 11:1
3. So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. -Matthew 6:31-34
4. We wait in hope for the Lord, he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice for we trust in his holy name.May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
       even as we put our hope in you. -Psalm 33:20-22
   
5. Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21

If God told me “what’s next” I would probably become fixated on planning and preparing and miss what He wants me to experience now. I may mix the ways He wants to use uncertainty in my life to grow my certainty in Him and His character. 

If I told little Lisa that right after we were finished baking cookies we were going to play outside she might have gotten so excited about playing that she overlooked the fun we were ha

ving creating cookies.

If you want to learn more about having hope in uncertainty check out my Bible Study Claiming Fresh Hope! 

Worship Music to Encourage You in Uncertainty