Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. John 14:1
How do you handle uncertainty? The Bible shows us how to face the threat of uncertainty with peace.
On a walk with a friend, Claudia described a recent panic attack after finding out she laid off in a staffing reduction. As a recent college grad with lots of debt and no safety net for support, Claudia didn’t know what she would do without this job! The stress of just contemplating such a loss felt like a vice grip on her heart.
Studies show that job uncertainty takes a worse toll on a person’s health than actually losing a job.[1] In other words, uncertainty is highly stressful! We all crave information about the future, and our brains perceive not knowing as a threat.
In the Bible book of John, Jesus is having a meal with His friends when He tells them He’s about to be killed and that someone at the table will betray Him. Reeling in shock, everyone starts asking panicked questions. Jesus then tells His friends “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me” (John 13-14:1).
Jesus’s followers are grasping for some certainty. But He told them, right in the middle of uncertainty, to trust. When we trust in Jesus, we choose, not to try to seek comfort in our ability to see our way through a situation. In those moments, we acknowledge we don’t know, but He does.
Uncertainty doesn’t have to be a threat—it can bring freedom into our lives. In uncertainty, we learn to give up control over everything. We don’t have to have all the answers! We admit our limits and let God be God. Uncertainty teaches us to love God as we walk in reliance on Him.
What uncertainties in your life can you begin to view differently?
[1] Robinson, Bryan, Ph.D. “What Brain Science Reveals About Uncertainty And 6 Strategies To Cope At Work.” Forbes, 24 Aug. 2022, www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2022/08/24/what-brain-science-reveals-about-uncertainty-and-6-strategies-to-cope-at-work/?sh=2378799244b0. Accessed 14 Feb. 2024.
