The last few weeks I have noticed more than ever that life is full of uncertainty. Actually life IS uncertainty. We never know what each day will bring, what will happen, who we will meet. Have you ever gone to bed, taken a few moments to reflect on the day and thought, "Well, I never expected THAT to happen"? We don't know what the future holds: health, family, employment, plans. Everything always seems "up in the air" and some days and weeks more than others.
It's a helpless feeling really. Not being able to prepare or know what lies ahead. It's the same with churches. When a pastor leaves the future seems so uncertain. When the deficit budget is adopted the future seems so uncertain. When significant changes are made the future seems so uncertain.
And with uncertainty comes fear. We face our illusion of control. We confront our need to know. We realize that many times we can't see what is down the road for our individual lives or our churches, and so we can't prepare. And then the thought creeps in like a disease, "What if...?" What if the test result is positive? What if I only have a few more months to live? What if I lose my house? What if I can't provide for my family? What if I have to move to a nursing home? What if the church doesn't grow? What if we run out of money? What if the church dies? Our minds wander down the rabbit trail of "What if..." and anxiety, worry and fear start to overwhelm us.
Fear is powerful. It changes how you act and think. To some extent it even changes YOU. We think more about our needs and go into a "fight or flight" mode. We enter into a survival mentality. We cling and hold on and try to maintain what little control we have in life.
I was reminded last night that God doesn't want us to live with a survival mentality. While meeting with the Vision Team, we encouraged each other to live in a way that advances God's vision for your life and your church. That vision is full of hope and joy and love. It's not easy when your gut tells you to live in fear, to "fight or flight", to have a survival mentality; to worry about money, or health, or the "what ifs..."
Jesus says, "Do not worry about tomorrow..." In an uncertain world, it's hard to do. There's a lot of things we could worry about. But no matter what happens, God is still God. No matter what happens, God will never leave us. No matter what happens, God's will will prevail some way, somehow.
Do not let an uncertain future cause you to be overwhelmed with fear. Don't get caught up in the "What ifs..." of life. Don't live with a survival mentality. Take a deep breath. Be still and know that God is still God. Focus on God's vision for your life and your church. A vision of abundant hope, joy, love, peace. Live into that vision each and every day because it is far more than we can ask or even imagine.
Ephesians 3:20-21, "Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen."
