What to do when you don't know what to do
We will all find ourselves in this place at some point in our life. It may come because of an unexpected job offer. It may come when a dream falls apart and all we can do is throw our hands up in the air. It may come because we experience significant personal loss and grief is overwhelming. It may come because you walk across a stage to receive a diploma, opening up a whole new world of possibilities, but leading directly into the fog. I’ve been in each one of those situations and every time it has felt like the weight of the world was resting squarely on my shoulders.
My guess is you’ve experienced a similar feeling.
What do we do when you don’t know what to do? It's a transcendent human question. The scriptures offer some antidotal advice for people in that position. It comes through the the story of one of Israel’s best kings, Jehoshaphat. His success came at a point in Israel’s history when they needed some good news. Jehoshaphat tore down idols, stockpiled great wealth, he won battles and developed the army, and built great leaders throughout the nation. Amidst all of his success, Jehoshaphat found himself with multiple armies bearing down on him threatening his life and the prosperity of his nation that he'd worked so hard to build. He’d made some bad decisions that put he and his people in a vulnerable position.
In 2 Chronicles 20:12, the narrator records Jehoshaphat’s prayer. He says, “We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” What do we do when we don’t know what to do? Jehoshaphat gives us four suggestions.
Keep your eyes on God. “… but our eyes are on you…” One of the most natural things to do when life feels out of control is to get to work. We go into overdrive trying to push our way through to get things done; ignoring everything in our way, including the God who is trying to lead the way. Jehoshaphat doesn’t do that. He has the expectation God is at work and that frees him to focus on God rather than his problem. Jehoshaphat prays. His prayer is raw, honest, and relatable. "God, I don't know what to do, but I'm going to keep my eyes on you." You could pray that prayer. I could pray that prayer. He seeks the face of God before he seeks God’s hand. He’s convinced that God’s power is near, accessible, and for him. Jehoshaphat seeks God and the Spirit comes (2 Chronicles 20:14). One of the things I love about this story is that dumb decisions don’t put us outside of God’s provision. Crazy circumstances don’t limit the providence of God. Jehoshaphat is in a situation that doesn’t appear to have any good options - but he chooses vulnerability and honesty instead of pretense and striving.
Refuse to make decisions based on fear. In 2 Chronicles 20:15, the Spirit-empowered Jahaziel turns to Jehoshaphat and says, “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” Fear can so easily be our default setting - especially when we are looking at what seems to be an insurmountable situation. That may be the reason the scriptures tell us 83 times, “do not fear!” What if, when you didn’t know what to do, you simply refused to make your next move based on fear of what would happen if made a wrong move. What if you rejected a narrative that was riddled with the fear of failure? What if you committed to waking in faith instead of fear? In one of his sermons, Martin Luther King Jr. cited an anonymous quote, “Fear knocked at the door and faith answered; there was no one there.” That epitomizes the reality many of us have experienced. The fear that so often cripples us is really a shadow with nothing behind it. What would happen if we decided to not make decisions about the future based on fear?
Worship in the fog. "Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice." (2 Chronicles 20:18-19) Jehoshaphat worships. He doesn’t know what the outcome is going to be, but He knows the God who goes before him and with him. Confusion can often block us from devotion. When we don’t know what to do, paralysis often inhibits our praise. When you don’t know what to do, choose to worship. Worship passionately. Worship regardless. And invite people to join in (vv 20-22). One of the hardest things to do is to bow the knee or raise our hands when it feels like we're walking through the fog, but that's the very thing we need to do. In fact, the act of worship puts the world and our situation in the right perspective. It reminds us who sits above the cosmos and sometimes that truth alone is enough to light the way.
Move forward in faith. “Tomorrow march down against them…” (2 Chronicles 20:16) Remember, not moving is as much a decision as moving is. God wants us to be fully present where we are - so remember, where you are is a choice. Some of you are considering a job move and you’ll decide to stay where you are; be fully there. Some of you will decide to leave; leave on faith and in God’s abounding grace. After we decide to not live in fear, the future begins to open up to us. Too many people, churches, and organizations get caught in cycles of fear and failure that prevent us from waking in the way of faith (20:16-17). As an aside, moving forward in faith does not mean that we resist being strategic. Jehoshaphat gets his men positioned and leads them victoriously into battle. Pretty good for a guy who didn’t know what to do. Take God's hand, take a risk, and boldly follow God into the unknown.
Next time you don’t know what to do, try doing what Jehoshaphat did. Tell God. Reject fear. Worship boldly. Then, do something. Move forward (or stay where you are) in faith.