Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin.
—James 4:17
Sometimes, we find it difficult to embrace the wonders that life has to offer. The irony is, the more we turn away from life's abundance, the harder it is for us to see the possibilities that surround us. Oftentimes, it is fear that keeps us blind and captive.
Fear can shut us off from the possibility of encountering or experiencing what is unknown, even though it may be life-giving. Perhaps, it is the unknown that is at the center of what we fear. How do we move forward when we are afraid and there is so much uncertainty?
Because we are unique and diverse individuals, our fears are unique and diverse. Scripture reminds us that God does not give us the spirit of fear, but rather the power of love and a sound mind. (II Timothy 1:7) God intends for us to be empowered and emboldened rather than being slaves to anxiety. Uncertainty, on the other hand, shows up in each and every decision we make. There's no getting around it.
We can render the decision-making process in our lives much easier by merely choosing to do the right thing without fail. If we choose to do the right thing, rather than the convenient thing, the expected thing, the comfortable thing, the usual thing, we are not held any longer by uncertainty. Instead we leave our uncertainty in the hands of heaven, where it will be treated without bias.
Neither fear nor uncertainty need keep us from enthusiastically jumping into the possibilities of life. Heaven always jumps in with us.
Gracious God give me the strength to do what is right even when I am fearful and uncertain.
Copyright ©2009 Cleophes Carter, Jr.
