Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6
This week there was a round of lay-offs at the company where I work. Many tears were shed for friends and colleagues lost. Many of the employees who are yet at the company have expressed their sense of uncertainty because they do not know if or when they may be next on the chopping block. My counsel is to trust God’s providential love as they look to Him for their daily provisions.
The writer of Philippians exhorts us not to be anxious about anything. After all, anxiety only compounds our uncertainty and worsens our condition. What then should we do when faced with uncertainty?
The writer of Philippians recommends 3 life-changing steps for dealing with uncertainty. First, he cautions us to pray earnestly. Prayer is not just a conversation with God. It is a hope-generating, faith-strengthening, and perspective-changing spiritual exercise. When we pray, we encourage ourselves, and we stimulate God to move on our behalf.
One thing we should be mindful of, we have to pray with specificity. That is what is meant by petition. We have to know what we want when we want it, why we want it, and how we want. God is a God of specificity. Especially when we face uncertainty, we should pray for clarity so we can receive the blessed assurance of God through the Holy Spirit.
Second, we should be thankful. Uncertain times should make us realize just how much we need God in the present and how good he has been to us in the past. My colleagues who lost their jobs this week and are facing uncertain final times should depend on God, who is going to provide for their needs during their unemployment. It is in time of uncertainty that we contemplate the Omnipotence of God and are awestruck by his lovingkindness.
Third, we are exhorted to present our requests to God. The writer of James reminds us that we have not because we ask not (James 4:3). So when we struggle with uncertainty, we should ask our Father for what we need without hesitation. God welcomes our requests and is faithful to provide for all of our needs according to his riches in glory.
Sometimes God closes one door so that he can open a new one for us. Uncertainty can be challenging, but for those who turn to God in prayer in times of uncertainty, they will learn that God is a deliverer, an enabler, a heart fixer, a mind regulator, and a bridge over troubled water. God knows who we are and what we go through. His seeming silence does not mean abandonment. We have to learn to be still and wait on the Lord.
It is in times of uncertainty that God's grace becomes more compelling, and his mercy is more prominent. During this season of the pandemic, we have to look to God for his lovingkindness. None of us knows when this pandemic will end. We do not know just how bad things are going to get. Nevertheless, we cannot continue to live in fear and dread of the pandemic and its related socio-economic impacts.
In times of uncertainty, we have to live by faith and not by sight. We may not see how God is going to provide, or where the next job is coming from, or how we will defeat COVID-19, we have to believe everything will be okay. We should be more focused on what God is doing in this season than what Coronavirus or the economy is doing. In times of uncertainty, we have to remember we serve a God who is certain in his power, certain in his love, certain in his grace and mercy.
Prayer- Blessed Lord, please help us to trust you as we navigate through the rough seas of life.
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