When you don’t know what to do…
What do you do when you don’t know what to do? When confusion sets in, and we don’t seem to be hearing from God regarding a difficult situation or circumstance that we are faced with? This scenario will often prove to be incredibly painful, stressful, and even faith shaking. Sometimes, we even know what we think we should do to alleviate a particular situation, but we just don’t seem to find that peace of God that we feel is necessary to move forward in a certain direction. We believe that if we were just to do something…anything, or set out on a specific course of action, it will ultimately bring about a solution to the problem. Just that one thing stops us though, not experiencing God’s peace on the matter or hearing His direction on it. Even perhaps more difficult to face would be when we believe firmly that we have heard from God about a particular situation, understanding that God is telling us that He is at work in it, and we simply need to wait on Him to sort it all out, and then it just doesn’t happen. What does one do with that? How do we respond to these apparent let-downs?
I have experienced these difficult times, as I believe we all have from time to time. Silence seemingly in response to my fervent and ongoing prayers. Lack of peace when I think I need to embark on a course of action that seems to make perfect sense to me as well as to others around me. I have experienced closed doors when all indications seem to point to the tremendous importance of those doors swinging wide open, even when I have apparently observed that God will open them but doesn’t. What to do? What must be my response to these seeming let downs? These are deep and hefty questions. Questions that I am not in a position to answer in my own knowledge and understanding, because I struggle/am struggling with them as well. I suppose that a good place to start in forming something of a solution to this struggle would be to start at the beginning. That beginning being with God, His character, and His promises to us.
First of all, I believe that we need to look to God for our sustenance even in the waiting. I’ve been told by friends and family in some of my most difficult times that God is in the waiting. Yes…I do acknowledge that and have seen it time and time again. However, God’s purpose in my life and in yours is to bring all glory to Himself, not necessarily to give us everything we want or even that we perceive that we need, and rightly so. Yes, He is in the waiting, but what truly are we waiting for? The answers to our prayers and fervent questions are of course important to us, and as God has told us in His Word, he hears our every prayer. At the same time however, are we really to wait on the answer to prayer for our peace and contentment to be complete? Is that not placing our trust firmly in the receiving of the gift, rather than completeness in the Giver of all good things? As the Apostle Paul writes to the Philippian Christians as found in Chapter 4:11-13,
Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.(NLT).
I’m not sure about you, but I know that I have been guilty at times of being terribly discontented during times of hardship and difficulty, or just in the times of waiting for the promises to come into being. A few years ago, I was pouring my heart out about my troubles (which were in fact very trying and painful) over coffee with a friend. He quietly and gently asked me a profound question which gave me great pause…”Is Christ enough?” I honestly had to sit there in stunned silence, in the shocking realization that for me, maybe He wasn’t enough! I know that He is enough, but we often can make that statement when we have plenty and haven’t lost anything of profound consequence. At that time however, I was in a place of extraordinary and unanticipated loss. That question for me really proved to be where the rubber hit the proverbial road. I thankfully recognized that I needed to deepen my relationship and conversation with Him who I professed to be my all in all. The acknowledgement that He really was not enough caused me to at least begin a process of changing my thoughts and expectations. The results have been to give me a better acceptance of God as being all sufficient, although that trajectory remains something of a work in progress.
Next in the progression of dealing with suffering, waiting and unanswered prayer would be in gaining and developing a vital understanding of the character of God. What is His character? Well…I could go on and on regarding this question. There are so many examples of His good character given throughout the Bible. I think that I could most effectively point to the scripture verse found in the most famous portion of the Bible. A verse that can and has been called the mini Gospel…John 3:16,
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.(NLT).
God’s character according to these words of Jesus is love! Love for whom? For those who are good, kind, smart, wealthy? Sure…of course He did, but the wonderful truth of this is that “God loved the world…”. Not just those who have it all together, but also those of us who just don’t. The depth of God’s character is fully on display because His love for us all came with a terrible cost to Himself. God, in Jesus died in our place. Is this truth not enough for us to acknowledge that God’s character is to be for us, even to the point of paying the ultimate price for us. Does this character trait not lead us to an understanding that God is for us in all areas of our lives. He will do what is best for us, not necessarily what we see as best for us. Had Jesus done what was expected of Him in AD 32 or 33, Rome would have been overthrown by Angel armies with Christ at the head, and Israel would have been set free from their overlordship. This however would not have saved the world, would not have saved us from eternal death. God knows best, right down to our own personal situations. Trust Him to do in us what is right and beneficial as He did for the whole world. His revealed character can give us that level of faith to wait on Him no matter the circumstance.
God’s promises are good. He promises that He will provide for us with all we need…not always with what we think we need. As Jesus taught, documented in Matthew 6:26-31,
Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’
God promises to provide for us. Jesus in the above passage talks about the primary needs, being food and clothing, but I think we can safely expect that He is referring to God’s provision in all that we need, at the right time, in the right way. Again, He wants what is best for us for our good and His glory.
I know…It’s not easy. Waiting, trying to trust, trying to hold on. Ultimately, if Christ is enough, then we don’t need to worry about the things that we desire, and if we trust that He wants for us that which is best, then we know that He will grant us what we need. I think the key is to learn as Paul did, to be content in all situations and circumstances. Prayer with Praise.
God is good. Even in the waiting. Even in the lack of what we think we need. He will never let you down.
