Living in the Mystery: How to Find Strength When You Don’t Have All the Answers

People crave certainty.

We want to know what the finances for the next year are. In retirement, our financial advisors review portfolios to determine whether we will outlive our money.

We want to know.

But what if you don’t know, which is usually the case?

When we embark on a journey, we seek the reassurance of departure and arrival times. No one would board a plane with a vague sign indicating, “Sometime.” Calendars are our trusted companions, providing us with precise dates and times. We schedule meetings for 10 am, not “whenever.”

The chaos of unpredictability unsettles us. Panic grows for the unemployed job hunter with every day that passes without a phone call. Waiting for the results of medical tests can paralyze even the strongest. That’s why we rely on phone alarms to keep us on track. They wake us up and remind us when it’s time to leave. Their tones instill a sense of urgency. In stormy weather forecasts pinpoint the exact moment the storm will arrive.

Uncertainty can be unsettling, yet Christians have always embraced it.

In times of persecution, Christians did not know if they would live or die. All they had was their faith and trust in God. Paul languished in prison, waiting for an unknown hearing with Caesar without guarantees of freedom.

In Matthew 24, Jesus told them of days of doom and despair, weaving together the fall of Jerusalem and the end of the age.

The disciples sought answers from Jesus. They wanted to mark their calendar about the when. They yearned for a definitive date, a sense of preparedness.

But, Jesus declined to provide such certainty. He declared,

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matthew 24:36, NIV)

No one possesses that knowledge, not even the angels or the Son, only the Father.

Since Jesus ascended, Christians have grappled with the uncertainty of each passing day.

But how do we navigate this uncertainty?

Live in the present. Embrace today completely, and do the same when it transitions into tomorrow. Find solace in the certainty of now, coupled with unwavering faith in the One who holds the future.

Take life one day at a time, living according to God’s will. That’s the antidote to uncertainty.