WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO?
When the World Is Churning, Your Emotions Are Exhausted, and You Cannot See the Next Step—Look Up
There are moments when life asks questions faster than we can answer them.
Turn on the news.
Look at the economy.
Look at families.
Look at nations.
Look at wars and rumors of wars.
Look at political and social unrest.
Look at the pressures people are carrying privately.
Then look inside your own home.
For many people, life feels as though somebody reached down, grabbed the world, and shook it.
Stress.
Anxiety.
Uncertainty.
Hopelessness.
Anger.
Wrath.
Fear.
Frustration.
Confusion.
Disappointment.
And sometimes sheer exhaustion.
One problem gets resolved, and another appears.
One bill gets paid, and another arrives.
One prayer seems answered, while another remains painfully silent.
We ask:
“Lord, what is happening?”
And eventually the question becomes much more personal:
“LORD, WHAT DO I DO NOW?”
That question is at the heart of my book:
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO (2ND EDITION)
By James Langston
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F9F685SW
And perhaps there has never been a more appropriate time for its message.
WHEN EVERYTHING AROUND YOU SAYS, “PANIC”
Jesus gave His disciples an extraordinary instruction concerning troubling times:
“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” — Luke 21:28
Notice what Jesus didn't say.
He didn't say:
Panic.
He didn't say:
Give up.
He didn't say:
Become consumed by fear.
He didn't say:
Spend every waking moment worrying about tomorrow.
He said:
LOOK UP.
And then:
LIFT UP YOUR HEADS.
There is something powerful in those words.
When life beats us down, our natural tendency is to look down.
When circumstances confuse us, we look around.
When fear overwhelms us, we sometimes look inward.
But Jesus tells us:
LOOK UP.
SOMETIMES YOU REALLY DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO
Christians aren't immune from uncertainty.
Let's stop pretending otherwise.
There are times when we pray and still don't know.
Times when we read Scripture and still have questions.
Times when good people give us different advice.
Times when every available choice appears difficult.
Times when God seems silent.
Times when the door we expected to open remains firmly closed.
And times when the prayer becomes:
“Father, I honestly don't know what to do.”
That isn't necessarily faithlessness.
Sometimes it is simply truth.
And God can work with honesty.
LIFE DOESN’T ALWAYS COME WITH A ROADMAP
Some seasons arrive without instructions.
Grief that refuses to leave on our timetable.
A marriage struggling.
A child making painful choices.
A career ending unexpectedly.
A financial crisis.
A medical concern.
A ministry disappointment.
A broken relationship.
An unanswered prayer.
A decision where both choices carry consequences.
A dream that collapsed.
A promise that seems delayed.
A waiting room that has lasted far longer than expected.
You pray.
You think.
You analyze.
You ask advice.
You pray again.
And eventually whisper:
“GOD, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.”
That is precisely where this book begins.
YOU DON’T NEED TO KNOW EVERYTHING
One of the central truths running throughout What to Do When You Don't Know What to Do is this:
YOU DON’T NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO DO—WHEN YOU KNOW THE ONE WHO DOES.
Read that again.
Our security isn't ultimately found in possessing all the answers.
Our security is found in knowing God.
We want explanations.
God often asks for trust.
We want the entire map.
God sometimes gives enough light for one step.
We want to know how everything ends.
God says:
“Follow Me.”
That difference is where faith begins to mature.
WHAT IF CONFUSION ISN’T THE END?
We usually interpret confusion negatively.
Something must be wrong.
I've lost my way.
God has forgotten me.
Perhaps.
But not necessarily.
Sometimes confusion forces us to stop relying upon ourselves.
When our familiar answers disappear, we begin asking deeper questions.
When our plans collapse, we become more willing to examine God's plans.
When our strength runs out, we discover whether we actually believe:
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” — Proverbs 3:5
It is easy to quote that verse when everything makes sense.
It becomes something entirely different when nothing does.
WHAT ABOUT WHEN GOD IS SILENT?
This may be one of Christianity's hardest experiences.
You pray.
Nothing.
You pray again.
Still nothing.
You ask:
“Lord, are You listening?”
Silence can feel like abandonment.
But silence does not necessarily mean absence.
Think about a classroom during an examination.
The teacher may be quiet.
But the teacher hasn't left the room.
There are seasons when God is doing something deeper than giving us the immediate answer we requested.
He may be developing patience.
Strengthening faith.
Changing our priorities.
Redirecting our steps.
Preparing circumstances we cannot see.
Or teaching us to trust His character when we cannot trace His hand.
That doesn't make waiting painless.
But it can make waiting purposeful.
SOMETIMES THE NEXT STEP IS A BABY STEP
We often think God's direction must arrive dramatically.
A booming voice.
A miraculous sign.
Every question answered simultaneously.
Sometimes it does.
Often it doesn't.
Sometimes the next step is simply:
Get out of bed.
Make the phone call.
Open the Bible.
Pray again.
Forgive.
Ask forgiveness.
Submit the application.
Make the appointment.
Write the first paragraph.
Take responsibility.
Ask for help.
Do today's assignment.
Then trust God with tomorrow.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEE TEN MILES DOWN THE ROAD TO TAKE THE NEXT FAITHFUL STEP.
PANIC OR PEACE?
One of the goals of this book is helping readers move:
From striving to surrender.
From panic to peace.
That's important because panic demands:
“DO SOMETHING—NOW!”
Faith asks:
“Lord, what would You have me do?”
Those are not the same thing.
Fear can cause us to manufacture solutions that create tomorrow's problems.
Sometimes the wisest action is movement.
Sometimes the wisest action is waiting.
Sometimes God says:
Go.
Sometimes:
Stop.
Sometimes:
Not yet.
And sometimes:
Trust Me.
Spiritual maturity includes learning the difference.
THE WORLD MAY BE SHAKING—GOD IS NOT
That truth deserves emphasis.
Governments change.
Markets fluctuate.
Wars begin and end.
Technology transforms society.
Institutions rise and fall.
People disappoint us.
Our bodies age.
Money comes and goes.
Circumstances change overnight.
But God doesn't wake up in the morning wondering what happened while He was asleep.
HE IS STILL GOD.
Your crisis didn't surprise Him.
Your unanswered question didn't confuse Him.
The roadblock you discovered wasn't hidden from Him.
God sees beyond the bend in the road.
You don't.
That's why faith matters.
DON’T THROW IN THE TOWEL
Someone reading this may be tired.
Not physically tired.
Soul tired.
You've tried.
Prayed.
Waited.
Believed.
Started again.
And now you're wondering whether there is any point in continuing.
One of the chapters in this book carries a message especially for you:
YOU WERE NEVER MEANT TO QUIT.
Rest?
Yes.
Reevaluate?
Certainly.
Seek counsel?
Absolutely.
Change direction if God leads?
Yes.
But don't confuse exhaustion with God's permission to surrender your hope.
Sometimes the strongest act of faith you can perform is simply waking up tomorrow and saying:
“LORD, I'M STILL HERE.”
HITTING ROCK BOTTOM—NOW WHAT?
There are times when everything we depended upon disappears.
Then we discover something about rock bottom:
If Christ is there—
ROCK BOTTOM DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THE END.
It can become foundation.
The place where pretending stops.
Where self-sufficiency collapses.
Where prayer becomes honest.
Where priorities change.
Where we finally stop telling God what He should do and begin asking:
“Lord, what are You trying to teach me here?”
Some of life's greatest spiritual lessons aren't learned on mountaintops.
They're learned while sitting in places we never wanted to visit.
THIS BOOK IS FOR THE PERSON IN THE “IN-BETWEEN”
You're not where you were.
But you're not yet where you're going.
That's an uncomfortable place.
The old door has closed.
The new one hasn't opened.
The prayer has been prayed.
The answer hasn't arrived.
You're living in the space between:
“God promised...”
and
“God fulfilled.”
That space requires faith.
What to Do When You Don't Know What to Do (2nd Edition) was written for those seasons.
For the weary.
The waiting.
The confused.
The discouraged.
The person facing transition.
The Christian experiencing spiritual burnout.
The person wondering why heaven seems silent.
And the believer who simply needs enough strength to take one more step.
THIS ISN’T A BOOK OF MAGIC FORMULAS
There isn't a twelve-step formula that guarantees every problem disappears.
Christian faith doesn't work that way.
The book doesn't promise:
“Follow these instructions and everything will work exactly as you want.”
Instead, it points repeatedly toward something more dependable:
THE UNCHANGING CHARACTER OF GOD.
Circumstances may remain uncertain.
But God remains faithful.
You may not understand.
But God still sees.
You may feel weak.
God remains strong.
You may not know tomorrow.
God is already there.
TWELVE CHAPTERS FOR REAL-LIFE CROSSROADS
This expanded second edition walks readers through twelve transformational chapters anchored in Scripture, personal reflection, biblical narratives, practical application, and questions designed to help readers think beyond the moment.
The objective isn't merely to finish another Christian book.
It is to help you stop and ask:
What is God doing in me?
What am I learning?
Where have fear and frustration distorted my thinking?
What can I do today?
What must I surrender?
What should I simply trust God to handle?
Those questions can change the way we experience uncertainty.
MAYBE YOU PICKED UP THIS MESSAGE AT THE RIGHT TIME
Perhaps everything is going wonderfully for you.
If so, thank God.
But perhaps it isn't.
Maybe you're reading this late at night because your mind won't shut off.
Maybe you've been carrying something you haven't told anybody.
Maybe you've reached a crossroads.
Maybe you've asked God the same question fifty times.
Maybe you're afraid.
Maybe you're angry.
Maybe you're frustrated.
Maybe you're simply tired of not knowing.
Then hear this:
YOU DON'T HAVE TO SOLVE YOUR ENTIRE LIFE TONIGHT.
Look up.
Lift up your head.
Take the next faithful step.
And trust God with what you cannot see.
WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO...
Pray.
Listen.
Search God's Word.
Seek wise counsel.
Don't make permanent decisions based solely upon temporary emotions.
Don't let fear become your counselor.
Don't mistake God's silence for God's absence.
Do what you already know is right.
Take the next responsible step.
And when you cannot see farther than today—
TRUST THE GOD WHO CAN SEE TOMORROW.
LOOK UP
The world may continue churning.
The headlines may continue changing.
There may be another crisis tomorrow.
Another disagreement.
Another economic concern.
Another unexpected event.
Another personal challenge.
But Jesus' instruction remains remarkably relevant:
“Then look up, and lift up your heads...” — Luke 21:28
Not because the problems aren't real.
They are.
Not because Christians should ignore suffering.
We shouldn't.
Not because every situation will resolve immediately.
It won't.
We look up because our hope is ultimately higher than our circumstances.
📚 WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO — 2ND EDITION
By James Langston
If you're standing at a crossroads...
If you're tired of waiting...
If heaven seems quiet...
If circumstances don't make sense...
If you're struggling to determine the next step...
Or if someone you love is walking through one of those seasons—
I invite you to read this book.
Not because I have every answer.
I don't.
But because after years of walking with the Lord, I have learned something worth sharing:
YOU DON’T NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO DO—WHEN YOU KNOW THE ONE WHO DOES.
You may not have all the answers tonight.
That's okay.
Look up.
God is still there.
📚 Learn more or get your copy:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F9F685SW
Pilgrim Outreach Ministries International
Your Feet to the Nations
🌎 Ministry: pomitaly.homestead.com
📚 Bookstore: thewilltosucceed.homestead.com
📰 Ministry Blog: joybells49.blogspot.com
@MENTIONS
@joybells49 @AmazonBooks @Goodreads @YouVersion @BibleGateway @AmericanBible @BibleProject @OurDailyBread @BillyGraham @SamaritansPurse @ChristianPost @CTmagazine @TBN @CBNNews @InTouchMin
#HASHTAGS
#WhatToDoWhenYouDontKnowWhatToDo #JamesLangston #ChristianBooks #ChristianAuthor #ChristianReading #LookUp #Luke2128 #TrustGod #FaithOverFear #WhenGodIsSilent #UnansweredPrayer #WaitingOnGod #DontGiveUp #HopeInGod #FindingHope #ChristianEncouragement #SpiritualGrowth #WalkByFaith #GodIsFaithful #TrustHisTiming #Prayer #Faith #Hope #JesusChrist #Bible #ChristianLiving #OvercomingFear #FindingPeace #AnxietyAndFaith #LifeCrossroads #GodsDirection #GodsWill #KeepGoing #ChristianMinistry #PilgrimOutreach #YourFeetToTheNations
Comments
Post a Comment