Mark Affleck

Are You Falling For the “Bright & Shiny” Lie of UNCERTAINTY?

January 14, 2021
Spiritual Growth

Our worldly culture tells us to endure the constant pressure of life’s UNCERTAINTY until we feel good again. To focus on the world’s “bright and shiny” trappings until our doubt disappears. To replace UNCERTAINTY with the world’s “certainty.”
  
Even though all of that is a LIE, I can see how we keep falling for its deception.
  
We allow UNCERTAINTY to hang around, in part, because the word feels and sounds passive. It does not seem dangerous enough to qualify as a legitimate threat to our faith. So we allow it—sometimes invite it–into our life.
  
But UNCERTAINTY is a dangerous threat…and MORE.
  
The “more” in this case is how UNCERTAINTY makes it impossible to fully RELEASE CONTROL of our life to Jesus. If we are wracked with UNCERTAINTY, we are trusting our own “power” to control its impact…not God’s power.
  
If RELEASING CONTROL of our life to God is one of our spiritual imperatives—what must be done—then turning uncertainty over to him is a TANGIBLE way to get that done.
  
OK, fair enough. But HOW do we shoo away uncertainty?
  
My approach is to ELEVATE uncertainty to “glorious status.” I know, you’re thinking glorious uncertainty…really?
  
Yes. GLORIOUS UNCERTAINTY. Though never easy, it is possible to label the uncertainties of life as glorious. I’ve did it earlier in my faith walk when uncertainty never left me.
  
Only now can I see that my failure to knock out uncertainty back then came from excessive and unhealthy worry over being “perfect.” My unrealistic expectations and ever-expanding goals ushered in the worry monster to pummel me with uncertainty when the perfection myth was revealed.
  
God used my failure with uncertainty for good by prompting me to add the word GLORIOUS to every thought of uncertainty that passed through the cinema of my mind. It worked. My spiritual muscles are constantly growing because each battle with uncertainty moves me through the doubt gate and into a field of faith that includes RELEASING CONTROL of it all to God.
  
I ask God to help me accept and even thrive in uncertainty by knowing there is nothing uncertain in his reign.
  
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
  
Take your “UNCERTAINTY PULSE” right now. Be honest and consider what you are uncertain about and why. Then toss it over to God and identify one step you could take this week to reduce uncertainty in your life.
  
“Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
  

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