Control
equals power! Or as the word is defined, “to have power over.” It must be human
nature to want to control things, people, or outcomes, because so many of us work
countless hours to do just that.
I’ve tried to control
everything from what people think of me to the weather (yes, the weather). And
I do not have the power to control either of those things or anything in
between. When it all boils down I only have control over my thoughts,
attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. And at times even my behavior has been out
of control!
Have you ever been
responsible for a toddler? It’s the best way to demonstrate our lack of control
or our powerlessness. You can put clothes on a toddler, but you cannot control
whether or not they keep them on. You can prepare food for a toddler, but you
cannot control whether or not they eat it. You can tell a toddler to “come
here,” but my, oh my, you surely cannot make them come.
False control is really
what we are all dealing with…like me thinking I could actually control the weather.
Maybe I didn’t really think I could control it, but I surely have tried to ‘will
it’ to be sunny on the weekends!
The holidays seem to
bring about an even greater desire to control people and events. We spend time,
energy, and money selecting the perfect gift for each of our loved ones, only
to be disappointed when their reaction in opening the gift wasn’t as BIG as we
hoped it would be. Or maybe that amazing new dessert or appetizer you found on
Pintrest, that you worked hours to recreate, didn’t get the accolades or praise
you had anticipated.
I was reading a passage
in the book of Exodus this morning. You may be familiar with the story of the
burning bush in chapter 3. Moses was going about his daily routine, tending to
the flock of his father-in-law; when suddenly an angel of the LORD appeared to
him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses noticed that this bush
was on fire, but it was not being consumed, so he moved a little closer.
Suddenly, Moses’s life
was interrupted. He found himself going in a different direction than he had
planned. You see, Moses (a Hebrew) was adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter,
raised as royalty, killed an Egyptian, was pursued by Pharaoh (who wanted to
kill him), ran away to Midian, got married and became a shepherd. (See Exodus 2
for the full story).
Back to chapter 3…from
the burning bush, God tells Moses, “the cry of my people has reached me…now go,
I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people (Israel) out of Egypt.” Wait! What! (Can’t you just hear Moses
saying that?)
Moses protested, “Who am
I to appear before Pharaoh?” Did you
forget that he wants to kill me? “Who am I to lead the people of Israel out
of Egypt?” I’m a misfit, LORD, neither
Hebrew nor Egyptian?
God says, “I’ll be with
you.” Moses still unsure, protest again, “If I go to the people of Israel and
tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me,
‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” God replied to Moses, “I AM
WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.”
Moses had no control over
the people of Israel or how they would react to him. Moses had no control over
Pharaoh’s decision to let God’s people go. Moses had no real control from the
beginning of his life…his parents gave him up for adoption, although they did
it to save him. Moses had no control over who raised him, although he grew up
quite wealthy. And yet, both of these events shaped who he was and trained him
for what was to come. Moses had no control over when, where or how God called
him to this mission, and yet he did have control over his decision to follow or
not.
Like Moses, there is
truly very little that I have control over. Will my job continue until I’m
ready to retire? Will the meringue turn out right for my banana pudding this
time? Will my husband like the gift I painstakingly picked out for his
Christmas present? Will my daughters like all of the items in their stockings?
Will the ladies class enjoy the lesson I’ve prepared? Will the traffic be
horrible when we head to Nashville tomorrow afternoon?
The answer to that last
question is almost a guaranteed ‘yes,’ but how I react to it is the real
question. How I react to all of those situations is the real question. In
Celebrate Recovery terms, I think it’s time to revisit Principle 1, “Realize I
am not God; I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong
thing and that my life is unmanageable.” “Happy are those who know that they
are spiritually poor.” – Matthew 5:3a
What are you still trying
to control? Where do we start in our quest to stop trying to control
everything? Maybe start by making a list of all the people, events, or outcomes
you are trying to control. Putting things in writing is a great way to bring to
light what you already know, but have not yet been willing to accept.
I often have to remind
myself that like Moses, I am not in control, but the great I AM is, and He is so
very much better at it than I am.
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