For over 20 months, I've faced an uncertain future and I've had to be resilient as I've encountered an open-ended transition in life. Transitions are difficult - even more so when they are nearly two years in duration.
Since January of 2022, every time I've thought I glanced light at the end of a tunnel, I have quickly realized that it was train headed straight for me! Thankfully the tunnels have been wide enough to avoid sudden destruction, but I'm getting tired of sucking in my gut and gripping the cold and rough textured masonry of these modern engineering marvels.
So, back to my initial questions. How do we handle setbacks and uncertainty? The Apostle Paul, who was no stranger to disappointment, provides a way forward. In the first part of Romans 8, Paul declares that through the gospel of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit, our lives are being transformed and our eternal hope is secure. One day we will be raised to bodily life in God's renewed creation. Our present struggles pale in comparison to the glory yet to be revealed. Ultimately, it's all going to work out in the end. But what about the middle parts - what about the here and now?
Paul goes on to remind us that God works all things for the good for those who love God and are called according to his purposes. Note, Paul does not say that all things are good. He does not declare that everything in the world is in accordance with God's will. But he does say that God is powerful enough to bring good from all things - even bad things. Some things in life suck! But, somehow, through God's providence and his often-unseen actions in our world, God will take all things - the good, the bad, and the ugly - and work them for the ultimate good of those who love him and continue to seek him. Paul then goes onto say that because God is for us, there is nothing against us that has the power to overcome us. He reminds us that Jesus was willing to die for us. So, is there anything else in all of creation that can possibly separate us from the love of God in Christ? Absolutely not!
In the big picture, my present circumstances are actually, pretty good. I and my family are healthy. We have food and shelter. We are surrounded by people who love us, whether geographically near or far. We live in an age when so many of the crises and hardships that people of antiquity faced are now non-existent. There are many people around the world in 2023 who are suffering through war, extreme poverty, and spiritual barrenness. None of these are plights my family is currently enduring.
But that doesn't mean that everything in my life is peachy. That doesn't mean that I and my family are not presently going through a difficult season. Like everyone, we too face struggles. But we face those struggles with faith, hope, and love. We have faith that this season will pass - and even if it doesn't, our ultimate hope is secure. And the love of God that Christ has poured out on us through his Spirit, comforts us through the hard times. This gives us the ability to press on come what may. If like me, you face an uncertain future - hang in there. If like me, you are struggling - hang in there. If like me, you are facing disappointment - hang in there. This too shall pass, and even if it doesn't, what we face in the present pales in comparison to God's final future yet to be revealed! Hang in there. - Shay
