IT’S OKAY TO NOT KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS
Recently, I have been challenged to wonder if the thing I have been working towards for the past ten years is even what I want to do with my life anymore. I found myself thinking… “What are the plans that God has uniquely in store for me?” And “When will I see those plans fulfilled?”
What does the future hold?
If you’re asking yourself these questions today, know that you are not alone. These are some of the thoughts that I have actively been battling every single day.
For many of us, including myself, the future is the ultimate unknown. Not knowing and therefore not preparing for the unexpected ups and downs of life can be so daunting. But even so, I believe that it’s okay (and honestly even better!) to not know what the future holds.
It Helps Us Live in the Moment
If there is one thing this past year has taught me, it’s that we are never guaranteed tomorrow. As young adults, it seems like we are constantly inundated with information to help further our education, skillset, or career. But concentrating so much energy on cultivating a better future for ourselves can have the tendency to keep us from living in the moment and enjoying the ‘right now.’
Living through all the cyclic ups and downs of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused me to reevaluate my priorities and the way I was haphazardly moving through life. I don’t want to get to the place where I look back and regret all of the chances I didn’t take. Or better yet, not being obedient to the calling that God has placed on my life. As the future is connected to the choices we make today, I think it is so important that we lead with our authentic selves and treasure all of the blessings hidden within every moment of the day.
To read more on how to lead with your authentic self, check out my post here!
It Makes Us Harness A More Grateful Heart
When I really think about it, I think our fear of the future stems from the discontentment we know we will feel if things don’t go our way. Although we can’t control what the future holds, we can control how we react to it. In my own experience, harnessing an attitude of gratitude is one of the most important things in approaching the way we think about our future.
At the deepest level, gratitude is not about being thankful for the things that have already happened, but for things which are still yet to come. In our constant state of abundance, we have so much to be grateful for! In creating a purposeful and intentional stream of thankfulness throughout the day, I’m sure you’ll find that it leaves no time for worrying about the future at all.
It Allows Us to Create Our Own Opportunity
Chances are, if we knew all of the right decisions to make and all the best paths to take, we would follow those instructions to a tee. But what fun would that be? Not knowing what the future holds allows us the opportunity to take hold of every day and live life to its fullest. I mean, isn’t that why we like to say ‘Life is An Adventure?’
Some of my favorite memories have stemmed not from doing everything exactly right, but from taking a blind leap of faith and learning from my mistakes. [Like I will never cut my own bangs again!] In this life, we are constantly blessed with the opportunity of a second chance. Let’s use every day to make ourselves better than who we were yesterday and create a brighter future for ourselves.
It Strengthens Our Faith
I don’t know about you, but I have found that it was during some of the most uncertain times of my life that I learned to lean on God the most. Especially these days, I feel like I need to press into the Word for more clarity and courage every day. In times of doubt and anxiety, isn’t it so comforting to talk it out with the One who actually knows the end from the beginning?
I think John Piper said it best in his newest book, Providence, “You should become accustomed to trust God in the dark because of what He’s shown you in the light.” Even when we are uncertain about what the future will bring, we can rest in reminiscing on all of the ways the Lord has displayed His faithfulness to us. If He provided for you when you least deserved it, I know His promises for your future won’t falter now.
The Secret Things Belong to The Lord
I’m sure you can agree that if we could see the whole picture of our lives, there would be no reason for faith. Because if we knew everything about everything, we wouldn’t need to trust or rely on God at all! In this life, there are some things that belong to God alone. Deuteronomy 29:29 says, “The secret things belong to the LORD.” And it is not our responsibility to pry open the door of His understanding so we can better comprehend the future for ourselves.
It is so comforting to know, at least for me, that His ways are always higher than our ways and His thoughts always higher than our thoughtsIsaiah 55:9. Because if the future of the world was up to my independent thinking and selfish ways, I doubt there would even be anyone alive to see it! In not sharing everything with us, God is actually protecting us from carrying the weight of this world that would be too heavy of a burden for us to bear. It’s okay to not know what the future holds because we know who holds the future!
