Preparing for the Unknown

There's a lot of unknowns in this life. And I don't know about you, but I'm a planner. I like steps and manuals and instructions. I love a good spreadsheet and I thrive with rules. Calendars, checklists and integrated technology make my heart skip a beat. But those are all things we've invented to try to make sense of a world that has more uncertainty than guarantees. The more my circumstances seem to spin into chaos, the more I want to bring order and control. But what if there was a different way? If God says that He delivers us from all fear, then even in the spinning and chaos I get to claim that promise. If God says that His gift to me is a spirit of peace and that I get to rest in His love, surely this is the time to cash that one in. When your future is a big question mark it feels like you can't see where your foot will land when you take the next step. You can't default to a comfortable place of passivity, or close your eyes and hope for the best. If you hide, or give in to the anxiety & fear, you're letting the world be bigger than your God. This is the time when God gets to surprise you with His extravagant love. When you're preparing for the unknown, that's when faith puts it's boots on. Here is a chance to choose Him, to trust Him, to know Him in a deeper way.

Whatever part of life you are facing uncertainty in, here's a few practical things you can do to prepare.

Seek God's Face

Now is the time to ask God for a word. Ask Him for a promise that you can hold on to. What does He think of your circumstances? What does He want to reveal to you about Himself? What scripture can be yours in this time? Don't give up until you get it. God is not a silent Father, preoccupied on His heavenly sofa with a screen of something more interesting capturing His attention. His thoughts about you are innumerable, and His love for you is bigger than you know. It's ok to keep asking, to keep seeking, to keep yourself in front of His face until He gives you a word. And when He does, that word becomes your touchstone. Anything that you hear or see that doesn’t match up with that word gets discarded.

Live Righteously

My friends and I had a garage sale the other day. It’s the most freeing thing, to go through your home and take away everything that’s no longer serving you well. We got to cast off the things that no longer had a purpose, things that were outdated, and didn’t represent who we are now. Now our homes are junk free and really represent who we truly are. When you don’t know what’s around the corner, it’s good to make some room. The world tells us to do the opposite - to stockpile and hoard and think about ourselves first. But God wants us to make room in our lives for Him to do something new. He wants us to cast off what has hindered us in the past, to put aside what doesn’t represent the truth of who we are in Christ. Not because we have to, not because we live under a law, but because it’s what is best for us.

Love Fiercely

Love is really our highest calling, our never ending goal - to love one another because Christ first loved us. You don't know what position you will be in, in the next part of your journey. You don't know who will be around you, or who you will be asked to serve. You don't know what other people will be called to or are walking through right now. They might be gone tomorrow, or on the edge of making a difficult choice today. Now is the time to let love lead. Let love be the priority, above anything on your own agenda. If we can love each other well, the rest will take care of itself.

So here's your checklist, Beloved. Face the uncertain with a newfound hope, an inspired purpose and a peace that passes understanding. When chaos and question marks line the horizon, you know exactly what you need to do.