What does the future hold? We can fill our calendars, make our lists, and plan ahead, but no one can ever know for sure. Without a crystal ball, envisioning what is to come can bring anxiety that is laced with agonizing uncertainty.
This past Sunday, commotion and energy filled the halls as we began our Share the Light Campaign. Although plans are in place, the future ultimately belongs to God. Our dreams and goals are an important part of the process, but God will work through us in ways we could never initially imagine. What a gift it is to experience where God will lead us even though we might still be hesitant to lean fully on God.
Thinking about my own future has recently taken up the majority of my brain space. I am also headed into an unknown future. In just over a month, I will be headed into my first call congregation. Alex and I are not exactly sure where we will be living, what community we will be a part of, where we will be employed, or how far we’ll be to the nearest Skyline Chili, but God is about to shake up our world whether we are ready or not. The future can be scary and it can be difficult to place our trust in the Lord.
If there is anyone in Scripture that knows a thing or two about the anxieties of the future, it is Paul. He was shipwrecked, beaten, and jailed. Still, he mustered the courage to continue his ministry of preaching the Good News to people all over the ancient world. I am comforted by the insight that he writes to the Philippian church, “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phil 4:6).
God invites us to let go of our fears of the unknown and lay our worries at Jesus’ feet. My response to anxiety is always prayer. This coming Sunday, we will focus on prayer and hear more about Paul’s journey. There is no better way to step into the Share the Light campaign than by praying for the church, its people, and those in our neighborhood. Like Paul, we will persevere through the hardships and God will do extraordinary things when we let go of fears and cast aside our worries. When thinking about the unknown future, I am compelled to shout “God’s got this!”
With trust,
Lucas McSurley