Life is full of the unknown. What we know tends to bring comfort; what we don’t know can bring
much anxiety if we allow it to mess with our thinking. I’m convinced that we will be better off emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually if we focus on what we know instead of concentrating on the unknowns of life.
If you make the unknowns of life your focus, it will get the best of you, bringing you down into the gloomy loneliness found in the dark prison of despair, paralyzing your life, and destroying your future. What would happen if you focused on what you know instead of the uncertainty that robs you of your sleep, joy, and peace, threatening to rattle your sanity beyond what is repairable?
The next time the unknowns of life show up knocking at the door of your thoughts with the intent to wreck your day and rob you of a good night’s sleep, remind yourself of who you are and what you will be. God’s word spells it out to us: “Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2, ESV)."
First, let’s consider who we are. We are God’s children, and God loves his children. He watches over us twenty-four hours a day. He rejoices when we spend time with him, talking to him, reading what he has written to us, and obeying his instructions. He has prepared a wonderful retirement for us. It is not dependent upon the ups and downs of Wall Street or the fluctuations in the housing market. He enjoys our presence so much that one day he will take us to his dwelling place where we will spend eternity with him.
Secondly, let’s consider what we will be when God takes us to be with him. On that glorious day and throughout all of eternity, we will be just like his son, Jesus. We will no longer live by faith; we will live by sight. We will be perfect in all areas of our being. We will no longer be tempted by the devil and our sinful nature to disobey God. Obedience will be easy and come naturally. We will no longer feel suffering or pain. We won’t have to remember to take our medicine because we will never be threatened again by sickness and disease. We will be totally healthy and in need of no health insurance or healthcare. We will never again get our feelings hurt or be wounded by someone we trusted. We will shed no tears because we will live in perpetual joy that cannot be penetrated by debilitating sorrow.
These are things we know. They are certain. They cannot be taken away from us or altered in any way, regardless of our current circumstances. As we focus on this knowledge, we show the uncertainty that knocks on our door that it is not welcome to come in and spend time with us, messing up our clean and orderly mental house. No, we are going to shut it out and focus on what we know.
So beloved, the next time the unknowns of life come knocking on your door, be quick to remind yourself of who you are and what you will be, according to God’s Word. Uncertainty will quickly flee. You can be certain of it.
Know that you are loved,
gaj