2020 has been a year unlike any other. A pandemic and cultural unrest have radically altered and disrupted our lives in ways none of us could have predicted. At the beginning of this year, I was in the process of applying to be a substitute teacher in California. Then, COVID-19 happened, schools shut down, and I had to look for other work. Subsequently, an ongoing struggle with racism sent our culture into a deep, soul-searching moment that has yet to find its resolution.
In the midst of times like these, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the uncertainty of the future and the worry which accompanies such unpredictability. How should Christians react when faced with such circumstances?
The Illusion of Control
Two years ago, I was in the middle of my seminary degree. I was looking forward to my graduation one year out and wondering where God wanted me to go next and what he wanted me to do. (I’m the type of person who likes to plan and know what I’m doing.) I prayed many times, only to be frustrated that no answers came back—that is, until I hit a breaking point.
I sat in the parking lot at Biola University, desperately asking God for an answer to my prayer. All the frustration that had been building up in my heart came out in a flood of tears. And finally, God spoke to my heart, not with what I wanted to hear but with what I needed to hear. With his gentle correction, I finally realized that I had been believing two lies about my future and God’s sovereignty…
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