Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Victorious Living

Home
Family, Parenting and Religion
The Value of Uncertainty

The Value of Uncertainty

Last updated on: October 22, 2020 at 5:00 am by Victorious Living

The Value of Uncertainty 2020-09-27T22:55:08-04:00 Victorious Living

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A few days ago, I was at a bookstore browsing titles having to do with business success. They reminded me of cheesy infomercials. All promising to have the key to success.

From business to sports to relationships, we are obsessed with the idea that we can predict or control the future. One of my movie pet peeves is when love interests say to one another, “I’ll never hurt you”. It makes me want to yell at the screen, “Yes you will! You’ll hurt them like nobody else will, but that is love.” Sometimes I do and Kylie shakes her head at me.

We love the idea of removing uncertainty. That there is something that can be done to ensure success, avoid pain, and eliminate the agony of mystery.

The truth is we cannot predict what will happen. We cannot fully control or foresee what the future holds. Whether you call it luck or fate, there are certain mysterious forces at work that make this life unpredictable. And despite our discomfort, that is not an altogether bad thing.

Uncertainty Hurts

Mystery is painful because it frightens us. We start to create worse case scenarios in our heads. And even when things happen, our frightened expectations seem to be self-fulfilling prophecies that make the experience worse than it needs to be.

Have you ever seen a kid fall and then look up to their parent; when the parent freaks out, the kid cries more than he might have otherwise. Our fear of the uncertain taints the way we view our present circumstances. It changes how we perceive reality.

So, we have worked ourselves into a frenzy, compounding our fears and confusing our realities. It is a bit of a trap; the harder we try to get out of it, the more it confuses and constricts us.

For many of us, life has boiled down to one simple endeavor: remove the threat of uncertainty. We do this by control, manipulation, or refusing to accept reality.

If we are going to live with uncertainty, we have to accept the inevitability of its discomfort. We have to allow for it to make us feel frustrated and confused. But we don’t have to let it consume us. We don’t have to be afraid.

The Beauty of Uncertainty

Our fear of what we do not know and cannot control often robs us of the beauty of uncertainty. We think so much of what can go bad and how unprepared we might be for it that we forget the same thing can work to our advantage. What would life be without the surprise of finding out you are pregnant or overcoming a challenge you weren’t sure could be conquered?

Mystery is a beautiful thing. It drives discovery. It pushes us toward faith. It spurs us to press into community. Uncertainty is the best medicine for complacency; it challenges us to be aware and intentional.

Life is hard and it will be hard. Fighting against this reality is more than a waste of time; it is a waste of opportunity. By accepting the complexities of mystery, we allow ourselves to wait with courage, to achieve with open hands, and to relate with grace and truth.

Three Things You Control

Previous Post

October 20, 2020

After The Crossroads

Next Post

October 27, 2020 The Medicine of Courage and Consequences

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Choices Conflict Resolution Culture Change Emotions Failure Faith Fear Freedom V Growth Healthy Communication Hope Identity Influence Leadership Learn Mistakes Mood Curve Ownership Perspective Power Relationships Self-Awareness Self-Governance Systems Thinking Three Things You Control Transformational Leadership Trust Truth Uncategorized Values Vision

Select a Month January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What was the Jewish place of assembly for worship and teaching called?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Tabernacle Synagogue Temple Court

Books by This Author Books by Victorious Living

See All Titles »