By Sara Rojas
In elementary we are taught that everything has a solution and an answer. By the time we reach junior high, we are taught not to waste time because time is valuable. By high school, as a student you are expected to know what you want to do for the rest of your life. “Choose your career wisely, this will determine your future,” teachers say. By adulthood, we are expected to have it all together. The truth is: we don’t.
Due to our culture, we are accustomed to wanting answers to every detail of our lives. We are desperate about wanting to know what the next step in life should be. Should I pursue higher education? What career should I pursue? Should I buy a new home, vehicle, or acquire new job? Who am I going to marry? When is the right time to have children? Am I ready for ministry? In addition, there are difficulties such as sickness, death in the family, financial turmoil, loss of a job, insecurity, doubt about our own purpose on earth, and the worst of all fears.
Don’t get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to succeed to better yourself. I strongly believe that working hard while trusting God is essential. However, what I am referring to is how do you trust God when you need an answer and you don’t have it?
To trust God in the midst of uncertainty is to step into the unknown in faith and by faith.
Stepping into the “unknown” does not make you less of a believer or follower, but instead it sharpens your faith, your spiritual maturity, and dependency in Christ. If you think you have to have it all together and have answers to every single detail, you don’t! You simply need to reach to God and rest in him knowing that he will lead you in every season of your life.
We have to understand that God is not limited by time, space, circumstances, seasons, or our lack of faith. God continues to be God regardless. Here are a few things that I have learned from my experience:
1. Do not depend on your own strength
I have made the mistake of thinking that I had to have everything under control. Perhaps, you have been hurt before and you find it difficult trusting people. We are taught that trust is earned, so one should work hard to earn it. However, King Solomon knew that trusting God above all things should be the priority. Proverbs 3:5 states, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” You see, this proverb clearly states to not “lean” or as other versions read “depend” on your own understanding or your own strength. It emphasizes to “TRUST IN THE LORD with all of your heart.” The Lord wants to make himself known in those shaky situations of your life, but you must learn to surrender it to God. King Solomon also states to trust the Lord “with all of our heart.” Now this also stands out! He did not say, “Trust the Lord with your entire mind,” because if it were that way an individual can know that they should trust, but not truly live by it which is completely different. To trust with “all of our heart,” means to live out a trust rooted in the Lord. It denotes a lifestyle embedded in Christ which is then projected outwardly in all of our actions. This is the kind of trust that we should live by. A trust that starts in the heart, flows in our veins, and connects to every part of us. The heart being the most important and primary organ is vital for life. In the same way, our trust in the Lord will determine the kind of life we will have.
2. Seek God
Crying out to God in every season of our lives is indispensable. I’ve found that my most precious moments in life have been in God’s presence, as I am on my knees, crying out with all of my heart and soul. Those are the moments that we find full rest in our Savior. In 1 Chronicles 16:11 states to, “Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.” Seeking God continually means to search for God not just in our time of need or when we have plenty, but at all times! As you are driving, making decisions at work, conversing with others, making plans, or figuring out the next chapter of our life, seek God! In moments of frustration, loneliness, and desperation, seek God! Even if you are loss for words, don’t know how to approach God because the hurt is tearing you down, seek him! Even if you are resettling, you keep praying but you feel that God is not near. Seek him still!
3. Put God first
The moment we put God first, God acts on our behalf. This gives an opportunity for the natural to encounter the supernatural. I have witnessed God’s power many times, simply by putting him first! As I recall, preparing for my mission trip to Nicaragua in 2011 was one of the most difficult yet impactful times in my life. I needed to raise $1,500 within a month. For many people this number might sound reasonable, but for a full-time student paying off their own education out of work-study, this was relatively high. In efforts to raise the money, I sold chocolates, managed to do several yard sales, preached at different churches, and yet I did not have enough. The moment I was going to give up, I tried convincing myself that perhaps it was not the time that God wanted me to go. God spoke and said, “Don’t you trust me? Don’t you know I am your Father who supplies your every need?” God showed up! He miraculously provided every expense of the trip and tripled the amount I needed. God wants to move in the supernatural, but we have to trust him and have faith that he will move.
God loves us so much and because he loves, he knows what is best for our life. He cares for our needs; he knows what is beneficial and what brings destruction. Today, do not depend on your own strength, but encounter God in the most intimate moment, HIS PRESENCE. Seek God continually and put him first everything you do, you will not be disappointed. Let us rest in our Savior’s arms, a place we could call home. Do not be afraid to step into the unknown and trust God in the uncertainty.
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