The Future is Uncertain...Right?

Photo by daniel plan on Unsplash

It is hard for me to believe that we are already in a new year – 2014! The past couple of weeks have been a bit eventful as I have been spending time with my family and editing my resume. It has also been a time of contemplation as I consider what the future might hold.
Thinking about the future can be frightening, especially for someone like me who tends to look ahead and see endless possibilities without any surety. It is my observation that such contemplation often leads to much uncertainty, and in some cases, sheer panic. What am I to do next? Where will I go? What do I even want to do? The questions are without end, and the more questions rise, the more I find myself wandering around in confusion.
I have never liked making decisions without being quite certain that I am doing the right thing, and this point in my life is no exception. Here I am, about to embark on the last semester of my undergraduate career, having no idea what the future will hold and not even knowing what direction to pursue. There are so many options and at times, it is overwhelming. Should I pursue a position at a church or non-profit? Do I want to oversee an entire youth ministry, or work alongside another youth pastor? Should I work to build my resume with a variety of ministry experiences, or would it be better to focus on something more specific? Would it be ridiculous to hold onto my new-found dreams of returning to India in the future or should I continue to cultivate that desire? Is India really where God is calling me, or does He have a different plan in store? Should I pursue a job or are graduate studies in my future? And the more I think about it and pray about it, the more uncertain I become.

And yet, even in the midst of the confusion and chaos of pondering the future in all its intriguing adventures and painful tragedies which have yet to be encountered, I know that I must cling to the promise that God has a purpose for my life. The truth of the matter, in spite of my uncertainties and fears, is that God has led me this far, and He will continue to lead me in the coming days, weeks, and even years. He is not a God of confusion or fear, and I can be confident that He will not lead me in a confusing or fear-producing direction. It is my job to simply be faithful where He places me and to watch and listen for His quiet voice telling me where to go next. And somehow, the future seems much more certain…

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
~ Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)


Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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