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Life is Unpredictable in a World Where Anything Is Possible

The scary reality of the world is that life is unpredictable. And this is because our world is constantly changing. Nothing ever remains the exact same unless you’re talking about gravity, wind, or any other natural force. But, in this post, I’ll be talking mainly about how your life can change rapidly and it is my goal to touch upon how one should face this ever-changing world.

Is Unpredictability Bad?

Unpredictability seems to have a negative connotation. I mean when someone says the word, “unpredictable,” the majority of people think of something negative such as unemployment, bad people, messy situations, and more.

And it indeed has become a worry to many people, today. This agitating fear in the hearts of people is apparent when people ask themselves questions such as, “How am I going to face the future?”, or, “What if something happens and my life is turned upside down?”

These statements are common questions which depict a sense of fear of the unpredictable. People often fear the unexpected, and this can be a genuine worry for many.

Proverbs 12:25 World English Bible (WEB)
25 Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down,
    but a kind word makes it glad.

Even the Bible talks about how people worried about what will become of them in the future. I modified the verse below in that I omitted some words from the beginning for the sake of emphasis. But I will quote this later in its full context.

Matthew 6:31 World English Bible (WEB) (Modified Verse)
31[…] saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’

But, why not think of unpredictability in the opposite sense? What if unpredictability could bring something good into your world?

Yes, life is unpredictable, but with that comes the possibility that things can exceed your expectations in a good sense. What if life is unpredictable in that your boss promotes you in your workplace, you find a new restaurant to eat at, or something else happens which is good.

And I believe Lord Jesus Christ reminds us of this in the Bible.

Why Life is Unpredictable

Before I get to what Lord Jesus Christ says about the matter, let me answer the question of why life is so unpredictable. It’s because God doesn’t give a guarantee that life will be predictable.

Instead, He tells us this.

Romans 8:28 King James Version (KJV)
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

So, God never promised you that all things will be predictable. And yes, that does mean tough things may come your way. You might face challenges that make you feel like yanking your hair out.

But, He does give us a guarantee of blessings. God tells us that whatever comes our way, predictable or unpredictable, will work as part of His plan to prosper you in any way possible (physically, emotionally, financially, spiritually, and more).

Now, let’s take a look at what Lord Jesus Christ said about how people should deal with unpredictability.

Matthew 6:31 World English Bible (WEB)
31 “Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’

HE SAID TO NOT GET ANXIOUS ABOUT THE UNPREDICTABLE FUTURE! And do you know why?

Matthew 6:32 World English Bible (WEB)
32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

God knows you need clothes, food, a job, and all of that! He knows what you’re asking from Him, and He is not oblivious to your needs. You’ve got to trust Lord Jesus Christ and do your part. By doing your part, I mean to do what’s right, what’s wise, and what’s efficient.

If bad health surprises you, try your best to live healthily while asking God for His healing. Or if you’re struggling financially, try your best to earn more income in an honest way while asking God for a financial breakthrough. However, let us go more in-depth in the next post.

A Helping Hand in an Unpredictable World

Lord Jesus Christ’s instructions regarding worries of the unpredictable future are the following.

Matthew 6:33-34 World English Bible (WEB)
33 But seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.

Seek God’s kingdom first and His righteousness. How do you seek God? Well, first, you’ve got to accept Him if you haven’t already. And the way to do that is to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Jesus Christ, being God, came down to Earth in the form of a human being.

He died on the cross in your place so that all your sins and evil gets punished through Jesus Christ, and now you can live a life in His grace. I talk more about it in this post.

Philippians 2:5-8 World English Bible (WEB)
5 Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross.

Now, getting back to the topic of unpredictability, Lord Jesus instructs us to not be anxious concerning our challenges. He says to take life one day at a time, and He will provide you with all that you need.

Therefore, I urge you to not worry, just thank and praise Him that He will make sure you end up in a good place. And if you want some encouragement, just read the Bible. I’d recommend that you read chapters 37 to 50 of Genesis in the Bible. You don’t have to read it all at once, just try to finish it before next week and you’ll see how Joseph faced so many unpredictable situations, both good and bad, with God’s strength.

Philippians 4:6-7 New King James Version (NKJV)
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

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Stepping Out of a Traumatized Past Into the Now

Restoration is in Christ

The daily price we pay to stay in the moment is sometimes all too high. And for those of you who are suffering from a vividly painful past, you are not exempt from the joys of life. That is going to be the topic of this post as we explore PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and as to how one should overcome it. So, to find out what it takes when stepping out of a traumatized past, continue reading.

The Pain Behind the Trauma

PTSD is a real issue in a our society. No doubt about it. When people go through painful and horrifying experiences, it does, at times, leave a scar. And that’s the thing about mental health; it’s just as real as your physical health. So, I believe that God cares for your mental health just as much as He cares for your physical health.

3 John 2 World English Bible (WEB)
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be healthy, even as your soul prospers.

God outlines the importance of your soul. And your soul is your mind, will, and emotions which includes your mental health.

Continuing on, these mental scars come in the form of things like PTSD. Now, PTSD is a disorder where people see hallucinations or dreams reminding them of their terrible experiences, or where people avoid socializing so that they do not encounter anything that might trigger memories about the painful event. Overall, it’s a terrible disorder that induces anxiety because of horrible experiences.

The things that tend to cause PTSD within people are really terrible events such as the following: natural disasters, military conflicts, assaults, accidents, and more.

And so, I do acknowledge that there is a deep pain or terror that lies behind the issue of PTSD. People go through things God never meant for them to ever go through, as human beings.

God never intended for these things to occur. We live in a fallen world, and in a fallen world, there is pain.

So, if you’re suffering from PTSD, I cannot understand the pain you’ve gone through as I do not know it or have probably not experienced it, but, I do know that your pain is real. Your hurt is real. But, there’s a way out of it, there is a solution.

The Weight of Trauma; the Height of Suffering

Now, I believe the solution is Jesus Christ. I did say I cannot understand the pain you’re experiencing as it does not relate to my own experiences. But, there is one who does understand how you’re feeling. God understands your pain, more than you think He does.

He not only knows it out of his omniscience, but He knows your suffering out of His experience. He knows the grit and heart-pounding terrors which you have experienced. He’s felt it all. Whatever sexual abuse or military battle or car accident haunts your memory, is a pain which God relates to.

He does not deny your pain, He does not ignore your pain, He feels your pain.

Isaiah 53:3 King James Version (KJV)
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

If your experience is something out of hell, Jesus’ experience is out of a deeper hell than that. He was physically beaten, stripped out of his clothes, scourged, had to carry a wooden cross up a hill, and was then pinned to the cross with nails in His hands and in His feet. He can relate to your hell, but, you will never be able to relate to the extent of hell which He endured. It is beyond human imagination to suffer a fate worse than His.

Furthermore, Jesus is God, who came to Earth in the form of a fragile human being to redeem/save humanity. And a symptom of PTSD is the stress or anxiety one feels when remembering a traumatic event. But, I believe Jesus was experiencing a form of PTSD before His traumatic experience even happened.

That would be because He is God and He knew every single detail that would outline His suffering the next day. And when He remembered the future should He choose to save us, He started sweating blood. And sweating blood is a medical condition where people experience severe stress. So, Jesus felt severe stress or anxiety about the suffering He was going to endure, on the night of His arrest.

Luke 22:44 World English Bible (WEB)
44 Being in agony he prayed more earnestly. His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.

Stepping out of the Trauma

Jesus knows how you feel. You can be sure about that. But, is stepping out of a terrible experience possible? Are you capable of stepping out of PTSD? The answer to these questions is a resounding “yes.”

Jesus does not have PTSD, now. He did what He did with a purpose. And He accomplished it. That purpose was to experience our hell, so, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, He saves us.

John 19:28-30 World English Bible (WEB)
28 After this, Jesus, seeing that all things were now finished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I am thirsty.” 29 Now a vessel full of vinegar was set there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop, and held it at his mouth. 30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head, and gave up his spirit.

Jesus recognized how His pain ended, and how His pain had a purpose. And three days later, He rose again victorious and alive. He rose again so that you would also have the benefit of a resurrection where you are a new, whole creation.

Romans 6:4 King James Version (KJV)
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

But now, in the case of your life, how do you step out of a traumatized past? You give it to Jesus.

Remind yourself that you are not the product of your experiences, but instead, you are a child of the Living God! When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, He makes you His redeemed child. You are a beloved child of God.

Furthermore, enjoy your family life. Let God walk you each step of the way through your path to recovery and restoration.

Overall, when it comes to stepping out of your trauma, recognize Jesus’ immense suffering, realize that He rose again victorious, and surrender your pain to God. He is there with you, pray to Him to heal you and read His Word in pursuit of the life-changing truth of Jesus Christ in our lives. Paying a price to enjoy every moment of your life, is not yours to pay, Jesus already paid for it. Therefore, through Christ Jesus, stepping out of your pain is not impossible.

By Andre Wijesekera