A Biblical Response to an Uncertain Future

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes” (Matthew 6:34 MSG).

No matter what the pollsters, pundits, and prognosticators claim, no one can accurately predict all that is going to happen in the next year, let alone the next few days or weeks. Our best forecasts are just educated guesses.

Change is not only increasing in speed and intensity, but also in unpredictability. How can anyone succeed when the future is so uncertain?

The Bible suggests three timeless principles for facing an uncertain future:

Set goals according to God’s direction--It’s foolish to make plans without first consulting God. He's the only one who DOES know the future - and he's eager to guide you through it: “I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for . . . You will seek me, and you will find me because you will seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:11,13 TEV).

The Bible also says, “We may make our plans, but God has the last word” (Proverbs 16:1 TEV). In other words, planning without praying is presumption. Start by praying, "God, what do YOU want me to do over the next year?"

Live one day at a time--While you can plan for tomorrow, you can't live it until it arrives. Most people spend so much time regretting the past and worrying about the future, they have no time to enjoy today!

John Lennon once wrote, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” Decide to make the most of each moment this year. Jesus said, “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes” (Matthew 6:34 MSG).

Don’t procrastinate - DO IT NOW!--“Never boast about tomorrow. You don't know what will happen between now and then” (Proverbs 27:1 TEV).

Procrastinating is a subtle trap. It wastes today by postponing things until tomorrow. You promise yourself that you'll do it ‘one of these days.’ But ‘one of these days’ usually turns into ‘none of these days.’

What did you plan to get done last year that you didn't do? When do you intend to start working on it?

Rick Warren