You don’t have to have everything figured out

Trust in God

You Don’t Have to Have Everything Figured Out

Style: Topical and conversational Estimated length: 25–30 minutes Theme: We can move forward with peace because God is present, faithful, and patient with us.

Good evening.

Tonight, I want to talk with you about something that I suspect most of us have felt at one time or another.

Have you ever felt like you were supposed to have everything figured out—but you didn’t?

Maybe you thought that by this point in your life you would have fewer questions.

You thought you would know exactly what you were doing.

You thought your family would have everything settled. You thought your faith would always feel strong. You thought you would have overcome certain fears. You thought you would be more confident about the future.

But here you are, still trying to figure some things out.

If that describes you, I want you to hear something encouraging tonight:

You do not have to have everything figured out in order to walk faithfully with God.

You do not need to see the entire road.

You do not need to know exactly how everything will work out.

You do not need an answer to every question before you take the next step.

You simply need to know the One who is walking with you.

I think we sometimes imagine that strong Christians never feel uncertain. We assume that people with great faith always know exactly what to do.

But when we read the Bible, that is not what we find.

Abraham followed God without knowing exactly where he was going.

Moses stood before the Red Sea without knowing how God would make a way.

Joshua entered the Promised Land without knowing how every battle would be won.

David faced Goliath without knowing every detail of what would happen.

Esther approached the king without knowing whether her life would be spared.

The apostles followed Jesus without understanding everything He was going to do.

They did not have everything figured out.

What they had was enough faith to take the next step.

And sometimes that is what faith looks like.

Faith does not always say, “I understand everything.”

Sometimes faith simply says, “I trust God enough to keep going.”

**SLIDE**

We Put a Lot of Pressure on Ourselves

Let’s be honest. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves.

We feel pressure to be strong all the time.

We feel pressure to have the right answers.

We feel pressure to make the perfect decision.

We feel pressure to take care of everyone around us.

We feel pressure to smile even when we are hurting.

We feel pressure to act as though nothing bothers us.

Sometimes we even bring that pressure into the church.

Someone asks, “How are you doing?”

We say, “I’m fine.”

And perhaps we are fine. But sometimes “I’m fine” means, “I don’t know how to explain what I’m carrying.”

Sometimes it means, “I don’t want to burden anyone.”

Sometimes it means, “I’m trying to be strong, but I’m tired.”

Have you ever been there?

You believe in God, but you are tired.

You know that God is good, but you are confused.

You trust His promises, but you are still waiting.

You know that you should not worry, but you still feel anxious.

You know you have been blessed, but your heart is still hurting.

Those feelings do not make you a bad Christian. They make you human.

God knows that we are human.

Psalm 103 says:

“He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.”

I find that comforting.

God knows our limitations.

He knows we become tired.

He knows we sometimes become afraid.

He knows we do not always understand.

He knows that our hearts can be heavy.

And God is not standing at a distance saying, “Why can’t you get yourself together?”

He invites us to come closer.

Psalm 34 says:

“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart.”

It does not say that God is disgusted with the brokenhearted.

It does not say He avoids people who are struggling.

It says He is near.

When you are hurting, God is near.

When you are confused, God is near.

When you are sitting beside a hospital bed, God is near.

When you are worried about someone you love, God is near.

When you are lying awake at night, thinking about things you cannot control, God is near.

You may not always feel His presence, but His faithfulness is not determined by our feelings.

God is still near.

God Usually Gives Us Enough Light for the Next Step

Psalm 119:105 says:

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

We sometimes wish God’s Word were more like a spotlight showing us everything that will happen over the next twenty years.

But the verse describes it as a lamp.

A lamp gives us enough light to see where we should step next.

It may not show us the entire journey. But it keeps us from walking in darkness.

We want God to show us the whole plan.

God often says, “Trust Me with the next step.”

We ask, “How is this situation going to work out?”

God says, “Do what is right today.”

We ask, “What will my life look like five years from now?”

God says, “Walk with Me today.”

We ask, “How will I handle all the things that might happen?”

God says, “You do not have to handle them all tonight.”

Jesus said in Matthew 6:34:

“Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Jesus was not telling us that planning is wrong. Scripture encourages wise preparation.

He was telling us not to drag tomorrow’s burdens into today.

Most of us already have enough to carry today. We do not need to add every possible problem that might happen next month or next year.

One reason worry is so exhausting is that it forces us to live through problems that have not happened.

We imagine the conversation.

We imagine the bad news.

We imagine the failure.

We imagine the loss.

We imagine all the ways that something could go wrong.

By the time we are finished, we are emotionally exhausted—and nothing has actually happened.

Jesus says, “Come back to today.”

Is there something good you can do today?

Is there someone you can encourage today?

Is there a prayer you can pray today?

Is there a responsibility you can fulfill today?

Is there a wrong you can make right today?

Then do that.

Tomorrow, if it comes, God will be there too.

We do not receive all the strength we will need for the rest of our lives at one time. God gives us strength as we need it.

When Israel traveled through the wilderness, God gave them manna one day at a time.

They were not supposed to gather enough for the next six months. They gathered what they needed for that day.

There is a lesson in that for us.

God gives daily bread.

He gives daily mercy.

He gives daily strength.

Lamentations says that His mercies are “new every morning.”

Not new every year.

Not new every decade.

New every morning.

That means when you wake up tomorrow, there will be fresh mercy waiting for you.

God Has Helped You More Than You Realize

Sometimes we become so focused on what we are facing that we forget what God has already brought us through.

Think about your life for a moment.

You have experienced difficult days before.

You have faced situations you did not know how to handle.

There were moments when you wondered whether you could keep going.

There were prayers you did not know how to put into words.

There were disappointments you thought would always hurt as much as they did in the beginning.

And yet, here you are.

You are still here.

You may have a few scars. You may have questions that remain unanswered. Things may not have worked out exactly as you hoped.

But God carried you.

You made it through days you thought would break you.

You survived moments you were certain you could not survive.

You discovered strength you did not know God had given you.

You received encouragement from unexpected people.

A door opened at the right time.

A friend called when you needed to talk.

A sermon or a Bible passage spoke to exactly what you were facing.

You looked back and realized, “God was helping me, even when I could not see what He was doing.”

In 1 Samuel 7, Samuel set up a stone and called it Ebenezer. The name meant, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

I like those words: “Thus far.”

Samuel could look back over everything Israel had experienced and say, “The Lord has helped us to this point.”

We can do the same.

How did you make it this far?

By the grace of God.

Who sustained you through your hardest seasons?

God did.

Who gave you people to love and people who loved you?

God did.

Who forgave you when you repented?

God did.

Who remained faithful even during moments when your own faith felt weak?

God did.

Thus far, the Lord has helped us.

And if God has been faithful this far, we have every reason to believe He will be faithful in the days ahead.

God did not carry you this far just to abandon you now.

You Are Probably Doing More Good Than You Know

There is another source of discouragement I want us to think about.

Sometimes we feel as though we are not doing enough.

We hear about people doing great things, and we think, “My life seems so ordinary.”

Perhaps you are not standing before large crowds.

Perhaps your name will never be widely known.

Perhaps most of your days consist of going to work, taking care of your family, paying bills, preparing meals, checking on loved ones, and trying to be a decent Christian.

That may feel ordinary, but ordinary faithfulness matters to God.

Jesus spoke about giving a cup of cold water.

That is not a dramatic act. It does not make headlines. It is a small kindness performed because we care.

Jesus said that even such a small act would not be forgotten.

We measure impact by visibility. God measures it by faithfulness.

We think something matters only if many people notice it.

God notices the quiet prayer.

God notices the meal prepared for a grieving family.

God notices the person who comes to worship while carrying a heavy heart.

God notices the parent who patiently teaches a child to pray.

God notices the grandparent who sets an example of faith.

God notices the person who sits with someone who is lonely.

God notices the Christian who refuses to participate in gossip.

God notices when someone is treated unkindly and you choose to be their friend.

God notices when you give without seeking recognition.

God notices when you are tempted but quietly choose what is right.

Hebrews 6:10 says:

“God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love.”

People may forget.

They may never realize how much effort something required.

They may not understand what it cost you.

But God does not forget.

There are probably people whose lives are better because you are in them.

There may be someone who stayed faithful partly because your example encouraged them.

There may be someone who believes he matters because you treated him with kindness.

There may be a child who will remember something you said for the rest of his life.

There may be a struggling Christian who saw you remain faithful and thought, “Maybe I can keep going too.”

You may never know all the good your life is doing.

A light does not always know who is being guided by its brightness. It simply continues to shine.

So keep shining.

Keep doing good.

Keep being kind.

Keep showing up.

Keep praying.

Keep loving people.

Do not underestimate what God can do through an ordinary, faithful Christian.

Your Weakness Does Not Make You Useless

Most of us are very aware of our weaknesses.

We know where we struggle.

We remember mistakes we have made.

We know the parts of our story we would change if we could.

Because of that, we may assume that God could use someone else more effectively.

But Scripture repeatedly shows us that God works through imperfect people.

Moses felt inadequate. He asked, “Who am I?” He worried that he would not know what to say.

Gideon described himself as the least important member of an insignificant family.

Jeremiah said he was too young.

Peter had a habit of speaking before thinking. He sometimes showed great faith and sometimes became frightened.

Thomas struggled with doubt.

Paul described himself as the chief of sinners.

God did not use these people because they had no weaknesses. He used them because they learned to depend upon Him.

Paul prayed for God to remove what he called his “thorn in the flesh.” God did not remove it. Instead, the Lord told Paul:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

Maybe you have spent years asking God to remove a weakness.

Perhaps God is teaching you to lean on His strength.

Weakness can teach us to pray.

Weakness can make us humble.

Weakness can help us become more patient with other people.

Weakness can remind us that we need the church.

Weakness can prevent us from trusting only in ourselves.

A cracked jar can still carry treasure.

In fact, Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4 that we have God’s treasure in earthen vessels so that everyone will understand that the power comes from God.

You do not have to pretend to be invincible for God to use you.

You do not have to know everything.

You do not have to be the most talented person in the congregation.

You do not have to have a perfect past.

You simply need to be available.

You can say, “Lord, I have limitations, but what I have is Yours.”

God can work with that.

It Is Okay to Rest

Some of us may need to hear this tonight: It is okay to rest.

We sometimes treat exhaustion as though it were a sign of faithfulness.

We feel guilty whenever we slow down.

We think, “There is still more to do. Someone still needs help. I should be doing something productive.”

But we are human beings, not machines.

Even Jesus rested.

Mark 6 tells us that so many people were coming and going that Jesus and His disciples did not even have time to eat. Jesus told them:

“Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”

Jesus saw their exhaustion and did not condemn them for it.

He said, “Rest.”

Rest is not always laziness. Sometimes rest is an acknowledgment that we are not God.

The world will keep turning while we sleep.

God will remain in control while we rest.

Psalm 127 says that it is vain to rise early and stay up late, eating the bread of anxious toil, because God gives sleep to those He loves.

There are times when the most spiritual thing you can do is pray, put the problem in God’s hands, and go to sleep.

That does not mean the problem is unimportant. It means that God is still awake.

Perhaps you remember what Elijah experienced in 1 Kings 19.

Elijah had just been part of a great victory on Mount Carmel. But soon afterward, he was afraid, exhausted, and deeply discouraged.

Do you remember what God did first?

God did not begin with a lecture.

He allowed Elijah to sleep. Then an angel provided food and water.

Elijah ate and rested.

Only after that did God lead him forward.

Sometimes we think every spiritual problem requires a complicated answer.

Sometimes we need prayer, Scripture, food, and a good night’s sleep.

God made us with physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Caring for those needs does not mean we lack faith.

If you are tired, rest.

If you are hurting, talk to someone.

If you need prayer, ask for prayer.

If you need help, allow someone to help you.

You were never meant to carry every burden by yourself.

You Do Not Have to Carry Tomorrow Tonight

I wonder how many people have lost sleep over conversations that never happened and problems that never came.

Our minds can travel a long way into an imaginary future.

“What if this happens?”

“What if that goes wrong?”

“What if I cannot handle it?”

But let me ask a different question:

What if God is already preparing the strength you will need?

What if He is already arranging help you cannot see?

What if the thing you fear never happens?

And even if a difficult day does come, what if God is with you in it?

We often imagine tomorrow’s problems without including tomorrow’s grace.

We picture the trial, but we forget that God will be there.

We imagine ourselves facing it alone, but Christians never face tomorrow alone.

The same God who was with David in the valley was with him when he faced Goliath.

The same God who was with Daniel in Jerusalem was with him in Babylon.

The same God who was with Joseph in his father’s house was with him in the pit, in slavery, in prison, and in Pharaoh’s palace.

God was already present in every place Joseph was about to go.

God is already present in your tomorrow.

He knows what it contains.

Nothing will surprise Him.

You may be facing a medical decision, a family difficulty, a change at work, financial uncertainty, or concern for someone you love.

You do not know exactly what will happen.

But you know who God is.

He is good.

He is faithful.

He is wise.

He is near.

He loves you.

And He has promised:

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

We sometimes say, “I do not know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds tomorrow.”

That may be a familiar saying, but it contains a powerful truth.

You do not have to carry tomorrow tonight.

Place it in God’s hands.

God Is Not Finished With You

Some people are discouraged because they think their best days of service are behind them.

Perhaps age has changed what you can do.

Perhaps your health has changed.

Perhaps your family situation is different.

Perhaps an opportunity you once had is no longer available.

But as long as God gives us life, He gives us opportunities to glorify Him.

Your service may look different in different seasons.

There may be a season when you can travel, teach publicly, and participate in many activities.

There may be another season when your main work is praying for people from a chair in your living room.

Both can glorify God.

Anna was an elderly widow when we meet her in Luke 2. She served God through prayer and devotion. When she saw the infant Jesus, she spoke about Him to those who were waiting for redemption.

Age had not made her useless.

Paul wrote some of his most encouraging letters while imprisoned.

His circumstances limited his movement, but they did not limit God’s ability to work through him.

You may be in a season you did not choose, but God can still use you in that season.

Your life is not on hold.

You do not have to wait until everything is perfect to be faithful.

You can serve God where you are, with what you have, today.

If you can speak, you can encourage someone.

If you can listen, you can help someone feel less alone.

If you can pray, you can carry people before the throne of God.

If you can write, you can send a note.

If you can smile, you can make someone feel welcome.

If you have experienced God’s grace, you have a reason to share hope.

God is not finished with you.

Take the Next Faithful Step

Maybe you still have unanswered questions.

That is all right.

You do not need every answer to take the next faithful step.

Perhaps your next step is to begin praying again.

Perhaps it is to return to regular worship.

Perhaps it is to open your Bible in the morning.

Perhaps it is to forgive someone.

Perhaps it is to apologize.

Perhaps it is to ask for help.

Perhaps it is to encourage a person who has been on your mind.

Perhaps it is to stop trying to control something that belongs in God’s hands.

Faithfulness usually consists of small steps repeated over time.

Noah built the ark one piece at a time.

Israel crossed the Jordan one step at a time.

The walls of Jericho fell after the people kept marching.

Naaman was cleansed after he obeyed God and dipped in the Jordan.

Peter walked on water only after stepping out of the boat.

We sometimes wait for a moment when we will suddenly feel completely ready.

That moment may never come.

Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is doing what is right while trusting God with our fear.

So take the next step.

You do not need to run the whole race tonight.

Just keep moving toward Jesus.

Conclusion

Before we finish, I want you to remember a few simple truths.

You do not have to have everything figured out.

You do not have to pretend that you never struggle.

You do not have to carry tomorrow’s burdens tonight.

You do not have to earn God’s love.

You do not have to face life alone.

God knows you.

God sees you.

God understands your weaknesses.

God remembers your work.

God hears your prayers.

God is already present in your tomorrow.

And God is not finished with you.

If tonight has been difficult, do not give up.

If this week has been disappointing, do not give up.

If your prayers have not yet been answered, do not give up.

If someone you love is struggling, do not give up.

If you have made a mistake, do not run away from God. Run toward Him.

His mercy is greater than your failure.

His strength is greater than your weakness.

His wisdom is greater than your confusion.

His presence is greater than your fear.

And His grace is sufficient for today.

Perhaps you have never begun your walk with Jesus. You do not need to have your entire life figured out before you come to Him.

You simply need to trust and obey Him.

Hear the good news of Jesus. Believe that He is the Son of God. Turn away from sin in repentance. Confess your faith in Him and be baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.

You can begin a new life tonight.

If you are already a Christian but have become discouraged, perhaps you need the prayers of your church family.

There is no shame in asking for prayer.

There is no shame in saying, “I need help.”

We are a family. We walk together. We bear one another’s burdens. We remind one another that God is faithful.

You may not know everything the future holds.

But you know enough to take the next step.

And you know that wherever that step leads, you will not take it alone.

If we can help you tonight, please come as together we stand and sing.