We’ve all been there. Facing a situation that leaves us scratching our heads, wondering why God allowed it to happen.
Why did my loved one get sick? Why did I lose my job? Why did this relationship end? Why did this trial come my way?
In those moments, it’s easy to feel lost, uncertain, and even questioning God’s goodness.
Friend, I want to encourage you today that it’s okay to not know why. It’s okay to admit that we don’t have all the answers.
What matters most is not understanding the why, but trusting in the Who.
Trusting in a God who is sovereign, loving, and good. Trusting that He has a plan, even when we can’t see it. Trusting that He is working everything out for our good, even when it doesn’t feel like it.
When We Don’t Know Why, We Can Still Know Who.
In Psalm 23, David writes, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me.”
David didn’t know what lay ahead, but he knew God was with him. And that’s exactly what we need to grasp in those moments of uncertainty.
We don’t need to know why; we need to know Who is with us. We need to focus on the character of God, not the circumstances of our lives. We need to remember that He is our Rock, our Refuge, and our Savior.
“Faith is not about having all the answers; it’s about trusting the One who does. There will be times in life when we don’t understand why things are happening the way they are. We may face challenges, struggles, or uncertainties that leave us questioning God’s plan. Or, even God Himself.
Even when we don’t know why, we can know Who is with us. We can trust in His goodness, His love, and His sovereignty. We can rest assured. He is working all things together for our good. This is true even when we can’t see the bigger picture.
In those moments of uncertainty, let’s lean into faith. Let’s choose to trust, even when we don’t understand. Let’s remember that God’s ways are higher than ours, and His thoughts are beyond our own. Let’s fix our eyes on Him, rather than our circumstances.
We may not understand the reasons, but we can still know that God is good. We can be certain that He is faithful. He is always with us. We can still choose to praise, to pray, and to trust.
In the midst of uncertainty, we will find that our faith grows stronger. Our hope is renewed. Our heart is more deeply rooted in the love of Christ.
We all want life to be fair. We want goodness to prevail and hard work to mean that life will be easier and … that green grass on the other side of the fence that belongs to the people who don’t appreciate it? We’d like that to be transplanted on our lawn because we are spending all day feeding and watering the sparse looking grass on our side of the fence.
But all of that is “me” thinking… and it’s not about me.
The plain and simple truth is that we are tiny blips on a very big screen. This is clear if we take big lessons in life and strip them down to the bare essentials. Only God has the capacity to see all of it.
He saw all that came before us. He sees all that will come after us. Only He can know the role that each of us can play that will best serve Him and each other.
Life may not be ideal by our standards. But, it’s not about me. It’s about what He can do with my life.
Through trials in my life, I have learned a lot about myself. I have learned a lot about my faith. I have also gained perspective from the difficulties I have faced. But that doesn’t mean I was given each of those difficulties to teach me something.
God knew what I would go through in life. He helped nurture me. I want to use my experiences to positively impact others.
I would like to be exempt from hardship. However, if it serves a purpose for another person, I accept it. It may help them see their life or relationship with God in a new light. Because of that, I wouldn’t ask for it to be taken from me.
Because it’s not about me. Nothing about my life is about me… it’s about who He needs me to be.
And how can I complain about that?
Oh, complaining can come so easily for all of us. Your small house. Your flat tire. The promotion that should have been yours. The grass grows so fast you don’t have the time to mow it…
But, what if God blessed you with that small house so you are next to a neighbor who needs your help when her husband dies? Or, your tire went flat so it didn’t happen when your teenage son was driving? Maybe the promotion would have been a dead end for you and next year a better opportunity will be waiting. And that lawn? Maybe it’s the only exercise you do each week and is saving you from a heart attack.
The point is, you don’t know. I don’t know. But it’s not about me.
So, as far as I’m concerned, even those things that make me want to pull my hair out and scream “Why me?!?” are blessings in disguise.
Blessings for me, or for someone else, or for a reason I can’t even imagine.
But it doesn’t really matter. Because it’s not about me.
So, I’m sticking with trusting the Who, instead of seeking the why.
With love and joy,
Laura
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