What makes the Sunday Scaries so scary? Why do we feel dread when we think about Monday just around the corner? Sometimes those “scaries” consume us so much that we miss out on what’s left of our weekend.
I believe the unknowns can be the things that freak us out the most. We wonder what the boss will say at the meeting on Wednesday. We wonder if our kid is going to have any good days of school this week. We wait for the results of a recent visit to the doctor. The unknowns of life can be scary.
Lately, my daughter has been posing intense questions about existence, God, and human history, and it’s left us with a few unknowns…
“Would we exist if Adam and Eve never sinned?”
I don’t think so…?
“If Adam and Eve never sinned, would all the stories in the Old Testament have happened?”
Again, I don’t think so.
“Why didn’t God just place the sword and angel at the entrance of Eden to begin with? Then the serpent never would have gotten in.”
Oh honey, I don’t know.
She’s only 7.
And while I enjoy these mind-bending questions, I don’t want to leave my daughter crushed under a wave of existential dread. I do my best to answer, but I also want to direct our attention to Jesus. We don’t have to solve every unknown theological conundrum to follow Jesus.
We won’t have all the answers to our difficult questions; God has given us what we ultimately need: himself.
One of my favorite interactions between the disciples and Jesus happens in John 14. Jesus is telling them that the cross is coming and that he will soon be leaving them. In the midst of their confusion, Thomas speaks up on behalf of the group.
“Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’” (John 14:5, ESV)
To ease their troubled hearts, Jesus responds by saying, “…I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, ESV)
Thomas doesn’t ask Jesus for more information. He admits that he doesn’t know where Jesus is going or how to get there.
Jesus doesn’t give him a detailed roadmap. He gives him himself.
Jesus calling himself The Way can ease the burden of the unknowns in life. Not only does it bring foundation and clarity to our faith, but it also eases our desire as humans to have everything figured out and answered.
It doesn’t provide all of the answers for the unknowns of your week, but it gives you truth to stand firm on.
We don’t know what the week ahead has for us, so don’t let tomorrow steal your attention from today. (Matthew 6:34)
If Jesus is who he says he is- the way, the truth, and the life- then follow his guidance, seek his truth in Scripture, and drink deeply from the well of eternal life today.
When you follow him, the unknowns won’t carry the weight that they once did.
Reflection & Prayer:
– Consider the unknowns of your week and make a list of them.
– Go to God in prayer, bring these concerns to God, and admit that they are on your mind.
-Ask God to fill your heart and mind with the promises of Jesus and the gospel.
– Thank God for the gift of Jesus and for providing a path to eternal life.
Song: The Road, The Rocks, and The Weeds by John Mark McMillan
by Craig Archer
Craig is a worship pastor at Wallula Christian Church and the creator of Active Theology. He loves coffee dates with his wife, reading, and riding his bike. A few of his favorite things are third wave coffee, vanilla ice cream, and plain t-shirts.
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