Fear of the unknown and the unfamiliar is something that you and I are not alone in. With every new season of life, comes change. And if you’re anything like me or really like anyone… with change comes fear. It is human nature to desire answers and knowledge. This is not anything new; in fact, all the way back in Genesis 3, the devil tempts Eve with the knowledge of good and evil. The thing that seemed so enticing to Eve, and now to us, is the desire to know what God knows. To see what is next to come.
If I knew everything, would I really need God? The answer is no. My not knowing and my struggling is what pushes me to draw closer to my creator. While my desire is to know; his desire is to have me trust him in the uncertainty of what is to come.
In the last month, the Lord has been teaching me about how to handle my fear of the future. Last semester I struggled with the transition from freshman to sophomore year of college. I came back to Waco with expectations that were not met. And my unmet expectations left me very uncertain and honestly, a little insecure. Nevertheless, as I always see afterward. The Lord was working in that season, preparing me for the next one, and the one after that and after that.
I have a LOT of fear about what the future will look like and how I will handle it. From the outside looking in, it seems so daunting. And the reality is…
It is daunting.
It is scary.
It is uncomfortable.
You and I’s fears are more often than not, very real. And that is okay. We are fearful of the future, because, with our current knowledge and our own strength, we would not be able to handle it. The Lord is still working, gradually shaping you and I every single day. So while we currently would not be able to handle the things that the future holds, the Lord promises us that we will be equipped for any situation thrown in our path. That does not mean that I am currently equipped, it only means that I will be. God is stretching and growing me daily so that I WILL be equipped to handle anything that is thrown my way when it comes. Remember not to discount the growth in-between the big seasons of life. God is always working in the in-between. If we are followers of Christ, he is molding and shaping us into images of himself.
He promises to never give us more than we can handle. Not more than we ‘think’ we can handle. But no more than we can actually handle. He intimately knows us, so we must trust his knowledge, and trust that he is equipping us for what the future holds. While our fears are real, they are nothing to dwell in or to be actively afraid of. Lean into the Lord because he’s got you.
