Recently, I was introduced to two terms, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and JOMO (Joy of Missing Out). As an avid academic, I realised I had experienced FOMO a lot. I had a pressing need to stay updated with the current trends in my research domain so that I wouldn’t miss out on any opportunity to demonstrate my expertise. It took me some time to comprehend the influence of FOMO on my physical and mental health. I understood the need to manage my time and emotions efficiently and started being mindful of my lifestyle. This eventually led me to pause and embrace JOMO—I understood it’s ok to miss out on few things instead of wasting time in chasing loads of information. Gradually, the need to constantly feel updated reduced, and a deep sense of calmness prevailed as I realised my life was in the hands of the Lord, who controls time, so I don’t have to force myself to pick up everything that comes my way.
I thought I could also use FOMO and JOMO to relate to my spiritual experiences. The two key terms are ‘fear’ and ‘joy’. I had experienced fear when I thought I would miss out on God’s blessings. The fear was palpable when I was busy chasing multiple opportunities and waiting to receive the ‘blessing’ that I had pictured in my mind. Last year, I went through a miscarriage, and it left me heartbroken. The unborn child started growing in my imagination, and I vividly visualised the little one playing with my elder son. I started thanking the Lord even before the child was born. As I entered the third month of my pregnancy, I was shocked to know that I was carrying a dead foetus in my womb.
Following the miscarriage, I also had to undergo a surgery which made me weak—both physically and mentally. The grief was intense as I blamed myself for missing out on God’s blessing, but it took me some time to understand that God’s blessings can never be missed. Why did God allow me to go through this rough path? God doesn’t allow pain without a purpose, so I had to meditate on His words to strengthen my faith. After the miscarriage, I experienced an intense feeling of fear that I would end up losing God’s blessing, and this stopped me from experiencing the divine joy in trusting God’s promises. I had to revisit the past miracles to ensure that nothing can depart from my life without His divine will, for the Bible says in Luke 12:7, “And even the hairs of your head are numbered. Don’t be afraid."
I started reading my Bible daily to revive my trust in the Lord and His promises. I understood that I can experience true joy only when I commit my unknown future into the hands of a known God. I often used to fear the uncertainties of my future—When will I get a job? How will I meet the needs of my family in the upcoming month? Will I be able to have another child after this miscarriage? When and how will God open a door to advance my career? These questions never ended and resulted in a frustration that ruined my peace. Again, the memories flashed in front of me— the beautiful family I have been blessed with and how I have been living the life I had been praying for.
As we move ahead and cross different phases of our lives, new needs and challenges arise, and simultaneously, the fear of dealing with them also creeps in. Allowing fear to dominate our lives would destroy our peace, and above all, it would result in questioning God’s love and His promises. Instead of fearing what lies ahead, we are called to rest in faith and meet the future with hope. I felt the need to exercise my faith which the Bible beautifully defines in Hebrews 11: 1, “Now faith is the confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." While knowing everything gives confidence, the act of not knowing enables one to depend entirely on God. It is this dependence that builds hope, which in turn boosts our faith. While the world emphasises ‘knowing everything’, I felt the need to ‘not know everything’ because I serve an omniscient God.
Recently, I took a career break to focus on my family and research, and I consider this a waiting season in my life. I am enjoying this season as I have stopped worrying about ‘what next?' No more questions and not being in a hurry to know everything that will happen in the future. This has enabled me to embrace the present moment with love and gratitude. God creates incredible ways to propel me ahead in my personal and professional life. While the world emphasises ‘knowing it all’, I pause and stay in the Joy of Not Knowing (JONK) for the One who holds my future makes everything beautiful in His timing.
Photo by Sasha Freemind on Unsplash
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