God’s providence and life’s uncertainties

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

We cannot deny that our life will always be marked by all kinds of mysteries and uncertainties. Even in the world of nature where in theory we have the capacity to know things conclusively, we often find ourselves in situations of tentativeness and even of outright error. That is why we are always in the process of discoveries.

We have to be humble enough to admit that our certainties can never cope with the mysteries of life. Our certainties can only tackle some aspects and levels of the reality that is proper to us. We need to realize more deeply that we have to contend not only with natural and even spiritual realities but also with supernatural realities that simply are above our nature to know.

That is why we need to be most careful with our judgments. We have to judge fairly, that is, with love of God and neighbor as the main motive for judging. If we have love for God and neighbor as the main motive for judging, we would know what to say, how to say it, and when to say it. And somehow we can manage to judge all things, just as St. Paul once said: “He that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.” (1 Cor 2,15)

Amid the mysteries and uncertainties in our life we just have to trust God’s providence and be ready for wherever divine providence would take us. We have to be open to it all the time, developing an adventurous outlook.

Even as we make our plans and pursue them truly as our own, we should not forget that nothing in our life is actually outside the providence of God who can adapt himself to us, even in our worst situations and predicaments, and still lead us to himself.

The only thing to remember is that God is always around and is actually intervening and directing our life to him. That is part of his omnipotence which he exercises both from all eternity and in time since our creation and all the way to the end of time.

There will be things in our life that will be beyond our human notice, and much less, our human control. We have to trust God’s providence even if things look terrible, impossible, or inhuman when judged simply by human standards.

Let us remember the story of Abraham who was asked to offer his only son, Isaac, in sacrifice to God. That trust Abraham had in God’s will won him the privilege of being the father of all nations. God always has a purpose for everything that happens in our life, or can derive good from whatever evil we commit.

What we have to do is to look for Christ always. He is the pattern of our humanity, the redeemer of our damaged humanity. This looking for Christ should be like an instinct, a constant behavior of ours. We have to look for him, so we can find him, and in finding him, we can start to love and serve him which is what we are expected to do to be ‘another Christ.’

If we don’t yet have this habit of looking for Christ, then it’s time that we start cultivating it and making it a guiding, directing principle of our daily life. We have to exercise our faith, overcome the usual initial awkwardness that we experience, and continue finding ways and means to look for Christ in every moment of the day, especially in our work, and even in our rest.

We have to find ways of how to correspond more punctually to Christ’s constant presence and love for us. Let’s see to it, for example, that even as we wake up in the morning, the first thing we do is to put ourselves in his presence and start of consciously offer him the whole day that is just beginning.

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com