Uncertainty (11/1/09)
Last Sunday, as we continued in our series entitled “Managing Our Emotions”, I dealt with Uncertainty - or what do we do when we’re unsure of our next move?
The famous preacher and founder of the Methodist church, John Wesley, once said, “When I was young I was sure of everything. But after a few years, having been mistaken a thousand times, I was not half as sure of most things as I was before. And at present, I am hardly sure of anything except what God has revealed to me”.
Uncertainty is a problem faced by people in all walks of life and it can be debilitating. But we looked at Psalm 19 and saw one of the many places in Scripture where God offers us guidance on how to make right and wise decisions when the path ahead is unclear.
Just like Wesley said in the above quote - “… I am hardly sure of anything except what God has revealed to me …”, the key we find in Psalm 19 is that God speaks to us - through His creation, through His Word, and through His conviction by means of the ministry of the Holy Spirit to our hearts and minds. God is in the business of revealing His will to us!
And even after taking into account these means of God’s will being revealed to us, a good and safe rule of thumb is - when uncertain, pursue the path that’s most honoring to God. I’m convinced that for most people who are sincerely following God, making choices between what’s good and what’s bad is not where they have the most difficulty. Those who are committed in and to their relationship with Christ often find it difficult in choosing between “what’s good” and “what’s better”; between “what’s better” and “what’s best”. You see, I firmly believe that some paths honor God more than others. The “higher way” may not always be the easiest, clearest or most popular path to follow.
All of us deal with uncertainty at times. Psalm 19 invites us to listen for God’s voice - particularly look for His direction in the Scriptures, ask for His convicting work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. And then, choose the path that most honors Him.
I’ve found that God’s plan for our lives is not always a straight line - rather, it is a series of twists and turns. But nonetheless, we can be confident that He is loving enough to want us to succeed and powerful enough to help us get back on the right track if - uhr, I mean, WHEN we make a wrong decision.
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