Not Knowing Everything Is Very Freeing

by Mark Turner

The same picture can take on wildly different meanings depending on your attitude, world view, and faith. Remember that we do not see the whole picture. There are unseen things going on. That's not just “spooky talking”; it's just reality: you can't know everything! So, looking at the circumstances of your life, pessimism could be completely unfounded. Well, optimism could be unfounded too, . . . unless you embrace faith.

Faith informs our view point that yet unseen good is coming, that observable bad circumstances are not the whole picture, that God is always working all factors together for the good. Scripture is packed with promises and reassurances that God loves and delights in us, that God is everything we need, defending, rescuing and providing regardless of the way things seem.

Is God delaying the help we need? We simply can not see God working out factors we do not even know are part of the picture. Too often the “normal” response is to focus all of our strength, soul and mind on ourselves as the self-sufficient masters of everything. This could and does kill people. I mean, consider the stress that puts on us.

Give faith a boost by remembering that we do not know everything, but God does. Say, “Hey, for all I know God has the answer right around the corner.” Is this self-delusion? Call it what you like. I think a lot more is accomplished with this attitude than when we say, “I know it all. Get out of my way,” and then proceed to make things worse.

Those that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength, rise up with wings, run and walk without fainting (Isaiah 40:31). Value your understanding, but do not rely exclusively on it since it is but one aspect of the picture. Rather, acknowledge God in all your ways and He will direct your path (Proverbs 3:5).

Thinking and speaking with faith releases us from the pressure to fix everything ourselves, which is the impossible obligation put on us by a self-centered world. Interestingly, when we acknowledge we don't know everything, we relax and experience the joyful freedom needed to release creativity for effective partnership with God in ultimate solutions. Why would we want to live any other way?!