How To Expect Good In Uncertainty: A Letter to the Class of 2020
Christian Alvarez | Student Ministries Pastor
Senior year of High School is a time that most students look forward to for years. It’s the light at the end of the tunnel when you can see graduation, you can see college, you can see the start of your life. It’s a time filled with joy and laughter as you celebrate events like Prom, Grad Night, and of course… Graduation. The end of Senior Year should be one of the best seasons of a young person’s life. However, for the class of 2020 the unfortunate truth is that the moments they have been so looking forward to have been snatched away from them in one of the most bizarre and unexpected anomalies of our generation.
So how is a Senior supposed to respond in a season like this. Is it fair to be angry? To feel robbed? To feel hurt? … Of course. It’s only human to react in those ways. However, what the darkest times in history show time and time again is that in the midst of darkness there is still light. John 1:5 says “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
So where is this light, Seniors? Where do you find your hope in the midst of this chaos? My encouragement to you in this season would be this: Always remain suspicious that God is up to something good.
In Isaiah 55:8-9, God says “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Part of faith is trusting in God, in both good seasons and bad. We trust that no matter how dark a situation might seem that God can and will use it for good (Romans 8:28).
So here are three ways that we can expect good in the midst of uncertainty:
- Remember God’s Faithfulness
All throughout scripture we see story after story after story of God proving himself to be faithful, even when His people are unfaithful. So it is with us and God today. Hebrews 13:8 tells us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” This assures us that the same faithfulness that God showed humanity at the beginning of creation is the same faithfulness that he extends toward us today.
Remember the ways that God has stepped into your life, freed you from sin, saved you from death, and filled you with peace, joy, life, and love. God changes everything for us and if he’s brought about good in your life before you can rest assured that He will do it again.
- Seek Out The Good
Lead Pastor of Life.Church, Craig Groeschel has once said “Your life is always moving in the direction of your strongest thoughts.” In other words, your attitude and your behavior will be determined based on what you fix your thoughts on. If you focus on the negatives in your life you will become convinced that you have a bad life. However, if you tend to fix your thoughts on the good things around you then you will realize how blessed you truly are.
One of Paul’s final encouragements to the church in Philippi comes from Philippians 4:8. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Paul knew the importance of how your thoughts affect the rest of your life. If you want to expect good in this life you need to fix your thoughts on the good you see in the world.
- Maintain Strong Community
It’s interesting to me how in John 8:12 Jesus speaks the words “I am the light of the world…” yet in Matthew 5:14 Jesus says to his disciples “You are the light of the world.” Was this Jesus misspeaking? I don’t think so. I believe that Jesus wants us to understand that in the same way that Jesus is the light which gives us hope in the darkness, we are actually called to give the same hope to the people around us.
As light of the world, you have a responsibility to your community, to your friends who may be struggling with the same frustrations that you are dealing with. You are called to show them the light, to give them hope, to remind them that in the midst of the darkness that God is still good and He is still moving.
In the same way that we are called to be that light for others, it is crucial that you can have people in your life who can be that for you. The Christian life is not a lone wolf kind of life, it’s a pack life. You need your people. You need your community. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
Never forget the power of a strong community. Never forget to fix your thoughts on the good that is happening all around you. Never forget the faithfulness of God.