Gracious Uncertainty

"Certainty is the mark of the common sense life: gracious uncertainty is a mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways; we do not know what a day may bring forth. This is generally said with a sigh of sadness; it should rather be an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God. Immediately when we abandon to God, and do the duty that lies nearest, He packs our life with surprises all the time. When we become advocates of a creed, something dies; we do not believe God, we only belive our belief about Him. Jesus said, "Except ye... become as little children." Spiritual life is the life of a child. We are not uncertain of God, but uncertain of what He is going to do next. If we are only certain in our beliefs, we get dignified and severe and have the ban of finality about our views; but when we are rightly related to God, life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy. "Believe also in Me," said Jesus, not---"Believe certain things about Me." Leave the whole thing to Him, it is gloriously uncertain how He will come in, but He will come.

Remain loyal to Him."

-Oswald Chambers

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This quote really caught my attention. This world teaches us that we must make our plans, believe in and trust our plans, stand up on our plans, be completely certain of ourselves...and then we will be something. We all heard it when we were little: "What do you want to be when you grow up?", and when we were older it was supposed that we had gained our self-certainty: "What are you going to be?" (Notice the thread running through all of this: it's all about me.)

As I grew up, and my answer continued to be "I don't know", people would seem to kind of pause at my answer for a minute, and then with a little knowing look they would say, "Well, you are still young; you still have time to decide." (As I learn more from my Lord, I realize how different "Time" is in His eyes than in the world's.)

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How about loving Jesus and saying, "I delight to do Your will, O my God" ?

How about leaving all our plans and desires and letting Him be certain of them? How about saying,

When I grow up, I want to be

Certain of my God.