The Illusion and Reality of Control

He was the picture of health, never sick a day in his life. Now he’s gone, in only six months.

I bet you’ve known someone who fits that description. I certainly have. And when a friend or loved one who seemed invincible succumbs to a sudden illness, it reminds us of the fragility of life and how we are not in control of it.

The other night I sat around the table with a group of leaders from our church. At the end of a long meeting we all shared personal prayer requests. One man made a light-hearted comment about losing control of his boisterous Sunday School class, and someone else joked that he only had the “illusion of control” in the first place.

That’s true, isn’t it? We have only the illusion of control, not just in leading a Sunday School class but in everything. Without Christ, this realization could lead us into despair. But we who follow Him take great comfort in knowing that our lives are in the hands of a sovereign God.

Our God exercises sovereign control over –

The weather: fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word! (Psalm 148:8)

The rise and fall of nations: He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding (Daniel 2:21)

Human government: For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God (Romans 13:1).

Human Disabilities: Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? (Exodus 4:11)

Wealth: You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth… (Deuteronomy 8:18)

Life and death: “See now that I, I am He, and there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded, and it is I who heal; and there is no one who can deliver from My hand (Deuteronomy 32:39).

The days allotted to us: My times are in your hand… (Psalm 31:15).  …in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:16).

Those who are saved and brought to heaven: “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” (John 6:37); “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…” (John 6:44).

Everything! Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases (Psalm 115:3). Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps (Psalm 135:6)

I suppose some people look at verses like these, and conclude that, if God controls all things, our decisions don’t matter. But though we don’t fully understand it, God both holds us responsible and gives us responsibility.

Someone has said, “Responsibility = my response to His ability.” Maybe that sounds trite, but it’s also true. Since His ability, compassion, and wisdom are infinite, my responsibility is to trust and obey Him. And knowing that the hands which hold all things bear the marks of the nails gives me peace beyond measure.

The Path to Peace and Patience

You know how it is.

• You rush through the airport, dragging your carry-ons and your kids, only to find your flight has been moved to a different gate.
• You have your day planned, with enough time to accomplish all the tasks on your list, and a friend calls and needs to talk.
• Your tire goes flat on the way to work and when you drag out the spare, you discover it’s also flat.
• You find a note in your child’s backpack, reminding you of a parent-teacher conference tomorrow morning.
• The freeway slows to a crawl, and your one-hour commute turns into the entire morning.
• One of your co-workers drops by your office and launches into a story that involves people you don’t know and situations you don’t care about. Twenty minutes goes by and it feels like twenty days.

 How do you handle delays and interruptions and distractions?

I’m not a patient person. It’s a weakness, and any of the above examples could wreck my concentration and my mood. I get stressed and edgy. Even worse, I may become abrupt or unkind.

The contrast with my Savior is very stark. In the gospels Jesus was always being interrupted, obstructed, and delayed. Right in the middle of His sermon, a demon spouts off (Lk. 4:31ff). During a home group meeting, four men lower their paralyzed friend through a hole in the roof as Jesus is teaching (Lk. 5:17-26). A former prostitute crashes a banquet where Jesus is an invited guest, and begins weeping, washing His feet with her tears (Lk. 7:36ff).

How to Control Your Own Destiny

This morning I read a story in the paper about a Navy commander who has written a book on leadership. The article included a picture of the author with this quote in big letters: “It’s all about controlling your own destiny.”

 So I thought to myself, I would really be doing a great service to the readers of my blog if I told them how they, too, could control their own destiny. Even without reading the commander’s book.

So here’s how to control your own destiny:

The white space is a little bit of sarcasm. Because there is no “how to” that will enable you or me to control our destiny. The idea of literally “controlling your own destiny” is a joke. Like an ant looking at a mountain, and declaring, “One day this will all be mine!”  Words like delusional, grandiose, and inflated self-importance come to mind. Only God can control destiny. You and I can barely control a sneeze, let alone a destiny.

Now of course people probably don’t mean it literally. Maybe it only means, “Stop playing the victim and blaming other people for your lousy life. Make choices that will move you toward your goals.” That’s good advice. But it's a long way from the lofty claim that you control your destiny.

Our Christ is the One who truly controls the destiny of all things. Hebrews says of Him, he upholds the universe by the word of his power (Hebrews 1:3b). Submitting to Him may seem like the opposite of control. But placing your destiny in the hands of Someone who is infinitely wise and powerful, and who is absolutely committed to the blessing of His own, is the best way to take responsibility for your life.

After the Election

If I hear about one more poll, or one more analysis of the swing states, or one more pundit pontificating on "what's at stake in this election," I think my head will explode.

Next Wednesday morning when we wake up, Jesus will still be in charge.

So I am trying to have a Christ-centered, Christ-admiring perspective, while at the same time knowing that this is an important election, and that your (my) vote definitely matters.

Last night my wife had me read Erick Erickson over at RedState.com. He said,

People on the left are convinced if Mitt Romney wins blacks will be put in chains out in cotton fields and uteruses will be locked up..

People on the right are convinced if Barack Obama wins the stars and stripes will come down, the red banner of communism will go up, and this American experiment will be promptly concluded.

My world view is pretty simple. I think this world is destined to go to hell in a hand basket by design. I think things are supposed to go to pot. So if Barack Obama wins, I won’t be upset. If Mitt Romney wins, I won’t be running through the streets cheering. I think, either way, it is all part of the design. The world is going down hill. Barack Obama re-elected just gets us down the slippery slope faster in my view. For others, it is Mitt Romney who does.

God is sovereign and He is in charge and He will return. That is my hope and my ever present expectation.

 You should read the whole thing. Click here.

Don't Be Afraid

So what are you afraid of? And why are you afraid?

The first question has many answers. Heights, public speaking, cockroaches, cancer, the list is virtually endless. Everybody is afraid of something. Probably lots of somethings. Mostly we go through life coping with our fears, learning ways to live with them. But everyone is afraid of something.

The second question doesn’t have so many answers. Why are we afraid?

For me, I think I’m afraid of the unknown, and ultimately I’m afraid of the unknown because I’m afraid of not being in control.

Maybe all of our fears are like that. A person who fears heights is overtaken with the dread of falling—losing control of their balance and within seconds, their life. A fear of public speaking puts you in a spot where you are the center of attention, but not in a good way. Death, and all the ways we might die, is the ultimate loss of control.

You're Not in Charge

If you’re a parent, I bet you’ve had this “conversation” with your four-year-old: “Kaylee, you're not in charge, Mommy is in charge. You don’t get to tell Mommy what to do, Mommy tells you what to do.”

The actual conversation takes a lot longer, because your toddler won’t quite get it the first time you tell her. Or the fifth time, either.

Kids, right? When they’re little, they think everything is about them. Good thing that all changes when we get older, huh? (Insert sarcasm here.)

Out of Control

My wife and I just spent a week with our older son and his family. I had fun being Grandpa and playing with my grandchildren. 

We went to the park and spun on the merry-go-round. My job was to propel the merry-go-round "faster, faster," until my almost-five-year-old granddaughter was horizontal to the ground, hanging onto the railing for dear life. If she had let go, she would have been flung out like a little blond missile.

Of course my other job was to immediately stop the merry-go-round if she became afraid or was in real danger of losing her grip. 

Have you ever felt like your life is spinning so fast you're in danger of losing your grip? It's easy to forget that there is Someone who actually controls the merry-go-round.

Paul said it this way: …in him all things hold together (Col. 1:17b, ESV).

“All things” means the molecules of my body. They are held together by Christ. “All things” means the solar system, subatomic particles, and my sanity. Held together by Jesus.

Jesus holds me together. Just because something is out of my control doesn't mean it's out of His. My progress in holiness and faith, my path to heaven, are only certain because my Lord holds them together. Why doesn’t the moon come crashing down and destroy our planet? And why is my life never really out of control, even though it may feel like it? Because Jesus holds all things together. 

His strong hand is always on the merry-go-round. And on the planet. And on my heart.