Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Control

My times are in your hands (Psalm 31:15).

If there’s anything an adult wants, it is control over his own life. We don’t like being out of the loop.  We don’t like having unanswered questions hanging over our heads. We resist being admitted into nursing homes or assisted living centers. We don’t like to be dependent on others for our income, personal hygiene, or the food that we eat.

We want to power to shape our lives according to what feels right and makes us happy.  Many’s the man or woman who, after the honeymoon, gets busy trying to change their mate into the perfect spouse.  Parents work hard at raising accomplished children who will be a source of pride in everything they do.  Employees hunger for a position of authority so they can get things done at work the way that they want. 

Sadly, maintaining control over your life is an exercise in futility.  There’s always stuff going on that you are unaware of, stuff that catches you by surprise and leaves you in a panic.  Disasters can strike from out of the blue—fires, flooding, windstorms and blizzards; car accidents and computer failure; a vitally important team member takes another job, your child is caught with illegal drugs in her possession.  The desire to have everything under control will leave you frazzled and exhausted, and when you go to bed you’ll lie there with eyes wide open, wondering how you can fix the list of things that is running through your head.

Feeling comfortable with your life doesn’t have to be a futile dream.  First you need to admit that your control over things is limited, and you don’t always make the best decisions either.  Then you need to approach the cross, kneel in its shadow, and ask Jesus to lift the burden of worrying from your shoulders.  You don’t need to have all the answers; just trust that Jesus knows what to do.  You don’t have to fix the people in your life; ask Christ to shape them into what He wants them to be.  You don’t have to have control over your life—in fact, since so many of your decisions are poor ones because of sin, you’re better off letting Jesus take control!  Read the book He has given you, the Bible where His wisdom is found.  When a decision needs to be made, first make time for prayer, seeking His leadership.  And when things do spiral into chaos, trust that God’s Son has the power to safely see you through.

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