We humans have a seemingly insatiable desire to be in control. We spend quite a lot of effort in attempts to gain control of things such as our time, our money, our friends, our subordinates, and our personal image. Stores are teeming with products which profess to help us control one aspect or another. Political and military campaigns are fought over this one small idea. New mobile applications come out every day claiming to give us more control. We have remote controls for our televisions and stereos, controls for operating vehicles, political and economic controls to help run our nations, and controllers for our video games.
If there is one thing that is not lacking in our lives, it is control. Or is it? We certainly spend quite a lot of our resources in gaining and maintaining it, but is it ever truly ours? In many cases, I suggest it is not.
The Illusion of Control
As it turns out, many of the semblances of control to which we cling are nothing more than illusory and transient facades. Granted, the feeling of control can be very comforting, even addicting, but like all addictions it comes from a sense which never quite satisfies. But simply stating this does nothing for many of you (indeed it would not for me), so here I will discuss a few examples.
One of the most common things which I like to think I am in control of is my schedule. I allocate my time based on my priorities and allow for allotted segments in which I do all of those things I find worthwhile. And sooner or later, I find that these things begin to fall into designated slots. Surely here I am master of my domain! Certainly I have control over my time. At this notion, all the truly wise among us begin to laugh, because anyone who has had a job or a child or a class in school can tell you that plenty of other people have demands on your schedule, and many of these demands will be met, whether you planned on them or not. James knew all about this when he counseled the believers in his letter. "Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.' As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil." (James 4:13-16) These are not very flattering words, but they carry an important truth. We are not the masters of our time.
Well, what about my money? I earn my wages fare and square, and I have access to it whenever I need it, whether it is in the form of paper or plastic. I budget and save and even give a little away to sate my conscience. My money must be under my control! But once again, wisdom reveals the folly of this line of thought. Anyone who has survived a sudden illness in the family, identity theft, or taxes can tell us that the last thing we have when it comes to money is control. Just ask the rich fool in Luke 12. God did not have pleasant words for him. "‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" (Luke 12:20) Money will never call me "liege."
When it comes down to it, there is a very small amount of anything over which we have any control. Certainly, under specific conditions and with the allowance of God, we do have what may be even a passable substitute for control, but the slightest disturbance can send our castle of wooden blocks tumbling down.
For one further example, look at me, Addison. Well, Addison as of last week. The Addison of last week went to work ready to put forth a hard day's work, and what did he want in return? A nice evening in which to relax and play some video games. And nothing was standing in the way of this plan. Until he emerged from his place of employment only to find that the front-right tire of his automobile had acquired a new self-drilling screw, which had drilled itself right through its vulcanized rubber. The Xbox controller Addison had seen in his hand was replaced with an emergency lug wrench, and he spent much of the afternoon in an auto shop. This is a trivial example, to be sure, but the point last week's Addison had to come to grips with is that there are many unforeseen happenings which can instantaneously shatter his false image of control.
Fish out of Water
Perhaps a more important question to ask, however, is this: Do we really need control in the first place? If man deserves control, surely there is some sort of indication. As far as I can see, there is no such suggestion, beyond simply the desire that society has instilled within us.
In truth, when men are given control, our track record is not exactly sterling. Subordinates are abused, the earth is ravished, enemies are treated with utter disrespect, and prejudice and mistrust are espoused as virtues. Just take a look at the long list of the kings of Israel and Judah in the Bible. Those who try to run things on their own terms are the ones who seem to fail most spectacularly. For example, look at Jehoahaz (2 Kings 23:31-35), his son Jehoiakim (23:36-24:7), his son Jehoiachin (24:8-17), and Jehoiachin's successor and uncle Zedekiah (24:18-20). Things did not turn out too well for these guys.
Divine Captaincy
If the implicit ineptitude of human attempts at control can be thus easily seen, to whom should the control be given? For the atheist, the answer to this must necessarily be nature and the laws that govern it. But we Christians have a much more comforting (and in my mind much more compelling) answer.
Our solution to this query can be seen plainly enough by continuing our study of the biblical kings of old. There is a common trend for those kings whose reign went prosperously. The easiest example to call to mind is David, about whom God testified, "I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do." (Acts 13:22) Further examples include David's descendant Asa (1 Kings 15:9-24) and Asa's son Jehoshaphat (22:41-50).
What do these success stories have in common? They are men who do "what was right in the eyes of the Lord." I submit that God alone is worthy of having the control in our lives. In those things which we cannot control we must trust in Him, in those things which we can control we should submit to Him. This is our rightful place, and to be honest it is where we thrive the best. It might make me happy to have momentary control, but it will give me joy to give God eternal control. I will perhaps be calm knowing that things will go according to plan for a while, but it will give me peace to rest in my King's everlasting arms. And I will find that this was the better path all along. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart/ and lean not on your own understanding;/ in all your ways submit to him,/ and he will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6)
One more point remains for this blog post. The present discussion is a topic with which I struggle very often. It is all too easy for me to plan out my schedule and budget in a way that make sense to me, but as with my flat tire last week, my best laid plans are often frustrated. And when I am nursing my damaged sense of entitlement which comes with any amount of control, there is one scriptural passage to which I almost always turn to put myself back in line. This is God's rebuke of Job in Job 38-41. After 37 chapters of Job and his friends bemoaning Job's misfortune, at times blaming God, at times simply complaining to Him, the Lord Himself finally speaks up. And He immediately dispels any illusions Job has of control. His opening remarks are, "Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me." (38:2-3) Wow. This sends chills down my spine every time I think about it. Seriously, read these chapters some time in the near future, especially if you haven't already. It gives us some pertinent wisdom which is seriously lacking in modern society.
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