No Clue

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, NLT)

I’m going out on a limb here to make an earth-shattering confession:

I have no idea what I am doing.

I am staring at 40 years old. I’ve been married for almost 17 years. I’ve been raising children for almost 13.

But most of the time, I still have no clue as to what I am doing.

I thought by now I would surely have something figured out.

Maybe I am not giving myself enough credit. I know how to do a few things. We all do.

But on any given day, the greater choices that I make regarding the bigger picture of my life are still just a crap shoot.

And I am beginning to suspect that I am not alone here. And maybe you feel that way too.

Because I still haven’t met anyone who has this whole life thing figured out. We take what life hands us and do our very best. I firmly believe we were never meant to shoulder this much responsibility and stress. Our bodies tell the truth. We are a nation of declining health, despite all of our advancements in science and medicine.

We run around in a frenzy looking for answers. Looking for help. Looking for someone to point us in the right direction, sometimes jumping aboard every train or bandwagon passing us by.

We were never meant to walk alone. Friends and family can offer us help in many ways. But ultimately we need someone greater. Someone stronger. Someone bigger than ourselves or any other person.

Where do you go for help, when you have completely lost your way?

I see the frantic, panicked looks on the faces of people today, creased and furrowed, burdened with the pressure of having everything all figured out.

Anxiety levels are through the roof.

I want to let you in on a little secret: Nobody has this thing figured out. No one. Not a soul. We are all doing our best, hoping and praying that we don’t screw it all up!

Those that are happiest are those that cast every care, every anxiety, fully on the broad shoulders of a God who cares for us.

God is faithful. God is there for us to lean our full weight upon.

In our mess. In our weakness.

He is strong.

We are lost. He is our refuge.

We are sheep. He is our shepherd.

When we are hopeless, God is the source of all hope.

This is the way we were made. That’s the way it is.

We get ourselves into trouble by thinking that our problems, our cares, our anxieties are bigger than He can fix. And that somehow I’ve got to figure all this out. Make better, solid, more foolproof plans.

Or that He doesn’t want to help. Or He’s too busy and has bigger fish to fry. Maybe, if you are like me, you think He is sitting on His throne, arm-chair quaterbacking us, calling out shots from Heaven!

“Get up!”

“Don’t do it like that!”

“What were you thinking?!”

“How stupid!”

Maybe you have heard these voices before.

Beloved, they do not belong to God.

God showed us over two thousand years ago that He wants to be among us. That He is with us. Emmanuel. No matter how messy our lives are, God of the universe is with us and wants to help us.

Stop and think about that.

You have a God who loves you and wants to guide you every single day.

You don’t have to have it all figured out.

You don’t even have to be perfect.

Just know that you are loved.

That you have a right to be here.

And that you were created for a purpose.

And for a relationship with God.

It really is that simple. Not easy. But so simple that a child could understand.

Believe it.

Are there those who respect the Lord?
    He will point them to the best way. (Psalm 25:12 NCV)