A lot of the time, trusting in God means having faith even when we don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes. We can’t see the whole picture, and from where we’re standing the situation we’re looking at might not make much sense. But just like in the book of Habakkuk, God is always up to something greater than we can see or understand. When it doesn’t feel like God’s making sense, here are 5 things to do.
1. Remember
When you’re in the midst of a situation that’s testing your faith, take a minute to pause and remember the God that you’ve trusted in up until this point - we can trust in what we know to be true about God, even if we don’t feel like we’re currently experiencing it. And if you’re new to faith or trusting God, lean into how you’ve seen him work throughout history and in the lives of other people who have trusted in him. His goodness is a truth that we can cling to.
2. Wait
As frustrating as it can feel at times, we know that God doesn’t operate on our timeline - he works in his own perfect time. The good news is that we can be confident that God’s timing is always perfect and better than ours will ever be - but that doesn’t always make our current situation less daunting. In Habakkuk 2:1, Habakkuk writes, "I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer my complaint." Habakkuk knew that God’s silence doesn’t mean he’s absent - and sometimes we have to be willing to wait on him.
3. Listen
There are many ways that God can speak to us when the time is right for us to hear from him. Whether it’s through reading his Word in the Bible, a nudge or feeling from his Spirit, through people we know and trust, in our circumstances, or through a sermon or song, when we’re listening, we’ll hear what he has to say. We just have to be willing to listen for it.
4. Write
This one may seem arbitrary, but it’s actually especially important. When we’re listening for God’s response, we may hear it in a way that moves us and serves as a great reminder of his faithfulness. But in the minutes, hours, or days following that reminder, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by life and forget the feeling. Take time to write down and record the ways God has shown up in your life so you may look back on them and live in those moments when you’re experiencing hard times. You may be surprised just how powerful and life-giving it can be to relive those moments of inspiration.
5. Tell
When God does incredible things in our lives, they’re worth talking about. And even when the incredible things haven’t happened yet - or don’t happen the way we’re hoping they will - our stories are still worth telling others. In the midst of the unknown, telling our story can give others encouragement and hope through our faith, and it can also set up future opportunities to share about God’s faithfulness in our lives. Don’t skip this step - choosing to tell your story is a crucial part of trusting God when he makes no sense.
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To hear more about what to do when God makes no sense, watch our sermon series When God Makes No Sense on the book of Habakkuk as we talk about how to navigate life when it doesn’t seem good, but we know we follow a God who is.
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