Dealing with uncertainty

As I write this in August 2020, I am about to announce to our congregation the cancelation of our annual fall retreat. It will be a huge disappointment for many. When COVID-19 hit Japan, we were not sure if we could even plan this retreat. But as the state of emergency was lifted, and the new normal—going out with proper precautions—started to be encouraged, we decided to go ahead in hopes it would give the congregation time to catch their breath before winter. However, the number of cases started to increase again in July. But there was no clear indication that the country would go back into a state of emergency, and the decision of whether or not to do the retreat became more difficult. Many of you have experienced similar situations. We want to move forward, yet we do not know what we should plan. It’s frustrating.

The root of this frustration is that we want to know what is ahead. We enjoy predictability, and many of us love planning based on this. We may even feel that, in order to be faithful Christians, we need to predict and plan well.

Biblical examples of living in uncertainty

In the Bible, there are many cases where people were unsure about the future and unable to make a solid plan. Abraham left his home country “not knowing where he was going” (Heb. 11:8 MEV). He also didn’t know how or when. He received a vision to become the father of nations yet did not know how or when this would be realized. When the Israelites were led by the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire in the wilderness, they did not have advance notice of when they would move location nor how long they would be staying in one place. There are many times when we do not know what is ahead of us and cannot even make a satisfying plan for tomorrow. But that is okay.

This does not mean that God wants us to be aimless. From the beginning of Abraham’s journey, while he did not know where to go, God told him what he would be. Abraham knew that he would be a great nation to be a blessing to the nations around. When Abraham was frustrated that he didn’t know the plan to increase his family, God showed him the unchanged vision that Abraham’s descendants would become a mighty nation (Gen. 15). While God did not give Abraham a step-by-step plan, God again and again told him the bigger goal that he’d set (Gen. chap. 15, 17, 22).

This was also true for Israel in the exodus. Although God did not give them a specific itinerary for their journey in the wilderness, God, from the beginning, gave them their mission statement to which they were called—that is, to be God’s treasured possession, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation (Ex. 19:5–6). When we do not know what awaits us tomorrow and are frustrated that we cannot make a plan, God points us again and again to who we are in Christ and what our mission is. He does not always tell us about how, when, or where; but he asks us to focus on the larger vision in order to give us the patience and flexibility to accept whatever steps God chooses.

I am not saying that we should not plan. Actually, everyone has a plan. Even in the wilderness, Israel, not knowing how long they would stay in any particular location, still had a plan for the next day—to go out to gather manna in the morning. However, our planning has more limitations than we might think, even in a “normal” year. We cannot expect our plans to be unchangeable and completely reliable. Rather, any plan that we make is under constant need of reevaluation and change. Our plans should be, before anything, plans to live in uncertainty. And within such uncertainties, the way God helps us is not by providing for us a predictable future. Instead, it is an ancient vision that God has promised in Scripture—that we are called to be his people. We are called to love God and love our neighbors.

Uncertainty in church planting

I think this principle of living in uncertainty is not limited to this unusual situation. The church planting journey is also filled with many unexpected challenges. Team members leave, a financial challenge strikes, the worship facility suddenly becomes unavailable, etc. The more uncertain we feel, the more we need to hear God’s continuous assertion of his promise to make us, his blessed people, to be a blessing to others. The more we focus on this vision, the more resilience we can have in the midst of uncertainty. And when God opens a new door in his timing, we’ll be ready. So, during this uncertainty of COVID-19, I would like to tell myself that this is a time to refocus on who we are in Christ. It is a time to dream God’s vision for us.