Dealing with Uncertainty: 8 Inspiring Ways

We live in uncertain times. Everywhere we look we see evidence of unrest around us. The truth is nothing remains the same.

Change is inevitable, and along with change comes uncertainty about the future.

Dealing with uncertainty is a challenge for anyone trying to adapt to unforeseen changes in their life.

We have only to turn on the news or look at social media to realize that the world around us does not resemble the one in which we lived a few short years ago.

Dealing with uncertainty can feel like a never-ending series of ups and downs, but there is good news. As followers of Jesus, we have the faithful assurance that he will give us the wisdom to navigate these volatile times.

Webster’s Dictionary defines uncertainty as the quality or state of being uncertain: DOUBT. There are times when circumstances are beyond our control or our ability to deal with.

Fear of the unknown or of making the wrong choice can render us powerless to make a decision, or at least, one we feel good about.

Dealing with uncertainty can be unsettling, leaving us consumed with self-doubt and second-guessing our judgment.

As believers, we can face the unknown with faith because we are certain God is with us, and he will see us through anything life brings our way.

We can live with bold confidence in knowing that, while we may not have a crystal ball to see into the future, we serve a God who is all-seeing and all-knowing. He will lead us as we put our trust in his perfect plan.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give
you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah‬ 29:11

The question is, “How do we deal with uncertainty in a world where sense and sensibility seem to have taken a back seat to confusion and chaos?”

How to Deal with Uncertainty

Looking back on my childhood, I remember my father making a statement I have heard repeated quite often. It goes something like this, “There are only two things you can be certain about in life, death and taxes.”

While the saying is true in part, as believers in Jesus Christ, we can be secure in the most uncertain of circumstances.

8 Ways to Deal with Uncertainty

Here are eight ways I found how to deal with uncertainty in our lives.

1. Trust in the Lord’s plans for your life. Remember, he always knows the outcome. Times of uncertainty call for us to be people who trust in the Lord to make the crooked paths of our lives straight.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV

2. Pray continually. Talk to Jesus about the burdens you are carrying. Ask him to help you deal with the uncertainty you are experiencing. Give your worry and fear of the unknown to him. Ask the Lord for wisdom in your specific situation.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it be given to him.”

James 1:5 ESV

3. Cling to the promises of God as you read His word, the Bible. The Bible is full of stories about people who faced perilous times with faith and courage. As we read the Scriptures, our faith becomes stronger and we learn to face our trials with wisdom and confidence.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV

4. Remain in His presence. Spend time with God, draw close to him. The Lord’s presence is where we want to be when dealing with uncertainty in our lives. It is there we find grace to help us persevere in any adversity we are facing.

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16 ESV

5. Praise the Lord for His goodness in your life. Praise is a powerful weapon in times of uncertainty. No matter how difficult our circumstances are, God is always good, and we can trust in his goodness in our lives.

“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalm 34:1 ESV

6. Do not protest or complain. We often find ourselves complaining when dealing with uncertainty. But negativity is not going to make the situation any better or the answers come any faster. Choose instead to be thankful while you patiently wait on the Lord.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to the Lord.”

Philippians 4:6 ESV

7. Seek to remain in peace. Stay calm and peaceful even when the answer is slow in coming. Peace is a calm assurance that comes as we lean on the Lord and trust in him while we wait. Ask the Lord to give you His peace that passes all understanding while you are dealing with uncertainty in your life.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

John 14:27 ESV

8. Believe God will accomplish His purpose in your life. Dealing with uncertainty does not mean throwing away your confidence. You can have assurance the Lord will be with you as you step out in obedience, follow his direction, and trust Him for the outcome.

“Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.”

Hebrews 10:35-36 ESV

God’s Steadfast Love in Times of Uncertainty

We all face moments in our lives when we feel unsure about our future. How we deal with uncertainty has much to do with our personalities and how we are hard-wired, our upbringing, past traumas, and our perspective on the situation.

I am not the best at dealing with uncertainty. I like things neat and predictable. Throughout my life, I have faced countless situations that forced me to deal with uncertainty, whether I liked it or not.

My father’s excessive drinking, my parent’s divorce, my husband’s multiple back surgeries and ensuing disability, financial crises, and my son’s addiction and mental health issues were unwanted opportunities for me to learn to deal with uncertainty.

Throughout these journeys, I faced an unpredictable future with no guarantee of a positive outcome. I struggled to find clarity and direction. The decisions I needed to make were wrought with uncertainty.

There were times my faith was weak. I did not trust in my ability to discern God’s voice over my own thoughts or those of the enemy’s lies. But I prayed for wisdom to deal with the uncertainty and the unknown, and along the way, I learned to trust him to show me what to do next.

Are you feeling unsure, overwhelmed, or confused? Ask the Lord, who holds your future, to grant you wisdom and give you faith to obey him as he guides you.

Prayer for Fear and Uncertainty

Dear Lord. My future seems so uncertain right now. This trial I am facing is causing me to feel overwhelmed and afraid I might make the wrong decision. Lord, I admit at times my faith is weak.

Please teach me how to deal with uncertainty and the chaos around me. Help me to keep my eyes on you, not on the problems in my life or in the world around me. I ask you to grant me wisdom to know what to do next and give me peace while I wait for you to answer.

Jesus, I praise you and thank you for your goodness in my life. May I face uncertainty with the certainty that you will be with me always. My hope is in you alone.

Amen.

I hope this prayer for fear and uncertainty blesses you. You can also write or recite your own prayer.

Trusting God in Time of Uncertainty

There is good news in these difficult days we are experiencing. God is still on the throne. He is in control.

He knows the battle we are facing to remain steadfast in times of adversity. Trusting God in times of uncertainty gives us hope.

Sickness, family relationship problems, political unrest, or economic devastation never catch him by surprise. He already knows what we need before we ask and promises to be with us always.

We can now deal with uncertainty with the certainty found in this truth… “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 ESV

“Everything has changed because of what we’re facing, but nothing has changed in terms of who He is in our midst. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” ~ Sally McClung