Become New with John Ortberg 24. Living with Uncertainty
Sep 9, 2021
A reflection on how uncertainty and fear push God out of our attention. C.S. Lewis’s Screwtape is used to show tactics that breed anxiety and suspense. The conversation contrasts obsessing over what might happen with choosing where to set your mind. It encourages patient endurance, hope in redemption, and practical steps to live today amid unknowns.
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Uncertainty Crowds Out God's Presence
- Anxiety filled by uncertainty crowds out God's presence in the mind.
- C.S. Lewis (Screwtape) argues suspense and imagining multiple contradictory futures trains attention away from God and produces fear.
Focus On Becoming Not Outcomes
- Focus on what you do and who you become, not on uncontrollable future outcomes.
- Ortberg contrasts controllable actions (who I become) with uncontrollable events (what happens to me) as the proper spiritual emphasis.
Name The Feeling To Create Space
- Awareness of our own mental states creates space for God to act and reduces the power of fear.
- Ortberg links Lewis's advice to modern mindfulness: noticing "this is me being afraid" loosens identification with the feeling.
