Control

When first we don't succeed, try try again. Something we've heard over and over in our lives yet in a walk with Jesus, nothing could be further from the truth. It should say, if at first you don't succeed then give up. Let me explain. Our whole lives on Earth is based on effort in, equals effort out. The more you do the more you get. The harder you work, the better the career, the bigger the house, the better off you'll be. It's programmed in us from the beginning to be successful, to make something of ourselves. It's the survival of the fittest mentality. It's why we have sports and competitions and hierarchical jobs. They're all there to create competition and perpetuate the dog eat dog mentality in us all. Then there's being a Christian, where we hear, the first will be last and the last shall be first. What the heck. It sounds like the participation trophies are being handed out again at the soccer game. No, it's a picture of how God is trying to save us from ourselves by replacing the ideology of a Me centric society to a Love centric society. 

In any new Christians walk, the ME attitude has to be replaced with a HIM attitude. Right from the start, the hole we're in spiritually, cannot be dug out of by us. No matter the good we do or no matter how we perceive ourselves, we are still walking, talking piles of selfishness. So, to be a Christian you first must come to the realization that you need help. Even the very thought of, I need help, is planted there by God. Being saved is an act of relinquishing control from you to Him. (See my first blog on how that went for me.) You have to tell yourself, I am lost and destitute. Then you must recognise the one who can rescue you. For most, coming to the realization that they are sinful is very difficult in itself but then coming to terms and understanding that they have zero control to change their situation is sometimes a hard pill to swallow.

Read 2Corinthians 12:5-10 where Paul boasts about his weaknesses. He gets a word straight from God that says, my power is perfected in weakness. It's hard for us to imagine that weakness can bring about power but look at it this way. Two men get into a heated discussion over how to build a house. Now, nothing can be built as long as the two argue but as soon as one gives up his fight, progress can be made. Like them, we put up a good fight to stay in control of our lives. Because of that, God will not move until a settlement is reached which is us relinquishing control.

Even after we are saved from our sinful nature, we hold on to anything we can control. Once saved though, we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit which opens up communication between God and us. This communication is for His voice to be heard and obeyed by us. Yet, we still plan it all ourselves. Like Moses in the wilderness striking the rock instead of speaking to the rock, we tend to do our own thing when it comes to God. We worship Him how we want to, we do our lives how we want to and only call on Him when things get rough. Instead of treating Him like our King and Savior we treat him like a genie. Thanks for saving me but I got this, just grant me some wishes along the way and I'll be fine. This is our attitude because we do not want to lose control.

Our control is our comfort. We control things because it is comfortable for us. We settle into routines and rarely upset our apple cart. It's how we protect ourselves from heartbreak, loss and discomfort. We settle for comfortable control instead of radical trust. Our entire lives as Christians should be controlled by God. Think of the church, every church on the planet should be under one authority, God's authority. Instead, the church is split up into factions and pieces because of different doctrinal beliefs, pastoral control or eldership control. Men want to keep control anyway they can. In one breath they want God's provisions and the other they don't want to die to self.

Control is always going to be the issue, who has it and who wants it. Our loss of control is basically like Christ's sacrifice on the cross. His death was a direct leading of His Father. If Jesus would have not gone to the cross then control would have been taken back and Jesus would have lost His relationship with God. When we follow Christ, He asks for us to take up our cross. The cross was an instrument of death where those that did evil were nailed to it. Our death on the cross is nailing our control, pride, fear and lack of trust to it so that they too can die in us. What ever we have an issue with that keeps God's hands from leading our lives must be recognized first then gotten rid of through the cross. Control is a nasty thing and He awaits the day when we give all our control over to Him. As Paul put it, I die daily, which should be our call as well. So, ask God, what part of me am I in control of that you want control of and see what He says. 

As any of my blogs are read, please don't take what I say as truth without you yourself speaking to God for confirmation on the subject matter. As each of us are on differing paths in Christ, one may glean something totally different than someone else. You may not get anything at all or this may upset you. My goal is for you to deepen your relationship with God.  Ask Him to do one thing and that's reveal to you the truth. If you ask Him for truth He will reveal it to you. 

As always, May God have all the Glory!