When Certainty Blocks God’s Call: Releasing Assumptions to Follow His Plan
“But we know where he is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.” ~ Jn 7:27
I used to be certain that my value came from working hard and being recognized for it.
I was so sure that if I just proved myself valuable enough, companies would see it and I’d have job security. My identity was heavily reliant on that belief. I was certain.
I was wrong.
The people of Jerusalem had the same problem. They were absolutely certain they knew where the Messiah would come from—and because they knew Jesus was from Nazareth, the carpenter’s son, they dismissed him entirely. “But we know where he is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.”
They were so confident in their religious understanding that they completely missed God standing right in front of them.
Jesus responds with something profound: “You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true.”
In other words: You think you know, but you’re looking at the wrong thing entirely.
How often do I do this? How often am I so certain about what God wants, how He works, or where He’s leading me—only to discover I’ve been staring at the surface while missing the divine movement underneath?
Right now, in my unemployment, I could easily fall into the same trap:
- I could be certain that God wants me back in a corporate job because “that’s what I know.”
- I could assume that financial stability is the goal because “that’s what makes sense.”
- I could miss entirely what God is actually doing because I’m too busy being certain about what I think He wants me to do.
The Judean crowd couldn’t recognize the Messiah because their certainty got in the way of their discernment.
I don’t want to make the same mistake.
Where are you so certain about God’s plan that you might be missing what He wants for you?
What assumptions are you holding onto that could be blocking you from seeing His true work in your life and where he is calling to serve?
Today, I want to pray for the humility to release my certainty and trust that God’s ways are higher than mine—even when (especially when) I think I have it all figured out.
In peace,
~Juan
