Each
of us, as we think over our lives, can remember
times--probably many of them--when we expected an
unhappy turn of events that never occurred. Now,
in fact, it's embarrassing to admit just how much
mental energy we dumped into worrying about the
misfortune that never took place.
It's during times of extended
waiting that we're most prone to expect the
worst. We interview for a job, or apply to a
graduate program, or make a financial investment
that will only prove its worth over time, or
write a letter to someone with whom we would like
to develop a serious relationship. Then we wait
for the results. And wait. And wait. If the reply
or outcome is longer in coming than we expected,
fears of calamity begin to flood our minds.
And our minds are incredibly
creative in the art of "catastrophizing." Not only
do we worry about an eventual negative outcome,
but we obsess about what may be going on right
now: The employer believes we lied about our
qualifications and has decided not to give us the
courtesy of a reply; our college application was
rejected by a capricious registrar and is lost in
a mountain of paper in his office; the financial
investment is doing poorly and will never
recover; our friend is offended by our letter and
is mocking it to her friends.
Life, though, is not so
predictable; and God, as C.S. Lewis has said, is
not tame. In the end, the results are sometimes
downright gratifying. And we have to admit that
what was going on behind the scenes during all
this time of self-torturing speculation was quite
different than we assumed.
A Welcome Surprise
When I sent the first manuscript
of Knowing God's Will to InterVarsity
Press in December 1977, I hoped they would want
to publish it. I was also eager for a quick
reply. But when a month passed with no answer, I
began to doubt that the book had caught their
attention. When two months dragged into three,
then four, I increasingly feared a negative
response. Any discussion taking place about the
book must be critical, I supposed. Even worse,
they may have overlooked my manuscript altogether
and forgotten even to send me a rejection letter.
Finally, in the middle of May, a
letter arrived. As I read the first page, which
outlined some criticisms of my work, I assumed my
worst fears were being confirmed. Dismayed, I
turned to the second page, expecting the
predictable conclusion--that the book was not
marketable to their audience. Instead, the editor
went on to say that, overall, they liked
the book. If I would make some modifications, he
explained, they wanted to publish it. I gasped to
realize I wasn't reading a letter of rejection
but acceptance. This wasn't what I had
anticipated!
In an instant my negative
expectations were shattered. Of course, I was
more than happy to have them smashed. Yet I was
astonished to realize how off-base all my
negative speculating had been. It had taken up
lots of energy yet accomplished nothing.
Hope for the Present
As I was reflecting on my
experience with that first manuscript in
preparing for this article, I thought how
wonderful it would be if I could be a fly on the
wall and spy behind the scenes in situations like
this. If I could glimpse the unseen circumstances
that are affecting my destiny, I would often be
encouraged by what I found.
But then came a startling
thought: If my faith in Christ is what it ought
to be, it should be producing in me the same
reassurance and confidence that I imagine such
clairvoyance would bring. Faith, in fact, should
bring even greater comfort than
clairvoyance. If I truly knew everything going on
behind the scenes that's affecting my life, I
would be unsettled by plenty of it, for I
wouldn't automatically know how to put it all in
right perspective. Yet I have an extraordinary
basis for knowing--simply as a matter of
faith--that Christ is working behind the scenes
to bring about his best for my life. Without
knowing any of the details of what he is doing, I
have profound reason to be hopeful.
This wasn't the first time I've
been intrigued with the thought of Christ working
behind the scenes in our lives. It's something
I've often thought about and have written about
before. But I don't think the significance of it
had never hit me quite so strongly.
Of this much I'm certain: our
need to appreciate this aspect of Christ's work
is much greater than we normally realize. One
reason we have this need is because we tend to
worry as much about the present as we do about
the future. Much of our anxiety is directed not
only toward what we fear is coming up, but toward
what we imagine is happening now--in all those
areas of our life where we have no control. Our well being depends not only upon trusting that
Christ holds our future but that he holds our
present as well.
We should dwell on the
fact that right now--at this very moment--Christ
is working behind the scenes for our good in
countless ways that we cannot begin to recognize.
We need to take frequent comfort and
encouragement from knowing this.
Healthy Optimism
This doesn't mean that we're
called to blind optimism or uncritical positive
thinking. Some pessimism can be healthy if it
serves as a reality check to keep us from getting
presumptuous. Pessimism can be useful if it warns
us of the perils of being irresponsible and spurs
us to take steps that we actually need to take to
reach a goal. Far too often, though, pessimism
goes well beyond this healthy stage and
undermines our faith in Christ. We focus on
negative possibilities to the point of obsessing.
As a driver, for instance, it's
vital that I keep in mind the possibility of
having an accident and the dangers of
carelessness behind the wheel. Yet my overriding
attitude needs to be one of confidence. Too much
concentration on the possible hazards of driving
will be detrimental to my safety.
This is a good parallel to how
pessimism and optimism should relate as we walk
in faith. When we have sought God's direction and
taken a step in faith, we have reason to be
optimistic. Some pessimism will keep us
alert to what we need to do, and mindful of our
potential to sin and our need to stay dependent
on Christ. It will also prepare us for
disappointment if it does occur. Yet our
overriding attitude should be one of hopeful
expectation.
Again, this hope should operate
not only as we envision the future but as we
consider what may be going on behind the scenes
right now. It's here especially that our faith
often needs a significant boost.
A Lift from Scripture
Fortunately, Scripture gives us
considerable encouragement at this point. The
theme of God working behind the scenes pervades
the Bible. And certain passages proclaim this
theme in a particularly helpful way.
 In
Judges 7:9-15 the warrior Gideon, about to face
the troops of Midian with a much smaller and
less-equipped force, is terribly frightened and
doubtful of success. But on the night before the
battle God leads him to spy on the enemy camp,
giving him a unique window on God's hidden
activity. Gideon hears one soldier telling
another of a dream he has had of Gideon's army
defeating the Midianites. He discovers that God
is already waging the battle--giving the
enemy a faint heart so they will be an easy match
for Israel.
Gideon's experience is good to
keep in mind when we feel hesitant to take a step
of faith. It reminds us that God is remarkably
capable to change hearts and rearrange
circumstances when he wants us to succeed. We
should not be quick to draw a gloomy conclusion
about what is happening behind the scenes.
Instead of ruminating over possible disaster, we
do better to invest our energies in praying for
God's help and staying hopeful.
Consider,
too, the experience of the widow of Shunem in 2
Kings 8:1-6. Elisha counsels this woman, whose
son he had restored to life, to leave Shunem for
seven years in order to avoid a famine. She
obeys, then returns after this period to petition
the king for her land. At the very moment she
arrives to meet with the king, Elisha's servant
Gehazi is talking with him, telling him about the
prophet's activities. Seeing the woman and her
son, Gehazi presents them to the king as a
testimony to Elisha's ministry. Then the king,
obviously impressed, "appointed an official
for her, saying 'Restore all that was hers,
together with all the produce of the fields from
the day that she left the land until now.'"
This event is a helpful one to
remember at those times when, like the widow of
Shunem, we choose to pull out of the mainstream
of life for a personal sojourn of some sort--to
pursue an educational program, for instance, or
special project. The passage demonstrates how God
can arrange circumstances to help us get a
foothold once we're finished. It points out, too,
the value of sticking with the commitment we've
made and not trying to take unreasonable
shortcuts toward our goal. If the widow had
returned early to Shunem out of concern for
preserving her property, she might have defeated
her own purpose.
Then
there is the more mysterious incident in 2 Kings
6:15-18, where God opens the eyes of Elisha's
servant to see the vast angelic army in chariots
of fire ready to fight for them against Aram. It
shows how God's spiritual forces working behind
the scenes to accomplish his purposes vastly
exceed our comprehension or ability to imagine.
The situation, of course, was
unique and involved a military battle; it would
be naive to conclude that God needs to employ an
army of angels to meet most needs that we face.
Yet the passage gives us hope not only about what
is happening behind the scenes on earth but in
the spiritual realm as well. We may trust that
God will use whatever means needed to work out
his best in the world and in our own lives.
Finally,
at this time of year especially, we should
consider what the Christmas story suggests about
God's behind-the-scenes activity in human life.
When Jesus was born, few realized God was
acting in a way that would forever alter the
course of human history and the destiny of
innumerable lives. For most, it was simply
business as usual. An event that would make
unprecedented healing, salvation and purpose
available had occurred. Yet few had any inkling
of it.
As God was working behind the
scenes for the benefit of many at the first
Christmas, so he continues to do in our lives
today. Take heart from this unspeakable fact. And
in the midst of this hectic season, take time to
reflect on Christ's goodness in your life--not
only upon his many blessings that you can see,
but upon the fact that he is providing for you
and protecting you in so many ways that you
cannot see. Keep that thought in mind as you
enjoy the festivities of this season, and let
this be a time when your faith is strengthened as
well. And may the knowledge that God works behind
the scenes in your life give you the
encouragement to take steps of faith and to stay
hopeful in all of the challenges that you face.
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