Are You In Control?
Most of us like to think that we are in control. The reality is that the amount of control we have over every aspect of our lives is very little. Just when we think that things are going well, and that we have the situation under control, things happen to remind us that the amount of control we have has many variables. How we handle those variables will determine just how much control we exercise.
Some things in life are quite obvious that we are not in control. The weather is not something that can be controlled. We can look at patterns and history and even the short and long-term forecasts, but we cannot control it. We just have to work around bad weather. If a tornado rips your house apart, what kind of control did you exercise to prevent it? Nothing at all, for you cannot control such. You could not prevent a rainstorm or a hurricane if you wanted to.
Some say that in this country we have control over our government. Reality tells us otherwise. It does not matter how you vote because things are not going to change the way we want them to change, and we have no control over them. I would love to see the citizens of this country return to godly living. I would like to see everyone respect the rule of law and abide by the laws we have. I wish we could remove money from the equation, but just about everything is about the money. Almost all the politicians are all about the money. They ask you to vote for them and in return they will represent your views on various issues. Yet when all is done they will vote how they are advised to vote, and reality tells us it is not the people who elected them that are advising them.
Unless you are the owner of a business, you can never be in full control. You will always have to answer to your boss or supervisor. Your business depends upon customers and the market valuation your company provides. If there is no market for your service or wares, you do not profit or make any money. So the market is in control, and you are not.
Everything depends upon various factors that teach us that we are not under control in most circumstances. Yet we can control how we react to all these various factors. Some people have a contingency plan if the weather turns bad. Many citizens have the collective ability to vote for another candidate. We make decisions on the job that helps us prepare for what the market decides. So even if the circumstances change, we do have a measure of control.
Spiritually, we must have faith that God is in control of all things. The Bible tells us that He does, and Jesus, His Son holds all things together. Yes, God is in control, and we would do well to listen to Him.
To be honest, the only thing we can truthfully say about what we control is ourselves. We decide how we will handle things that come our way. We make the choice on how we react to adverse situations. We choose to live righteous according to the Bible, or live in wickedness. The fact of the matter is that every sin is a matter of choice that we definitely have control over. The Bible teaches that we all have the ability to make correct choices and that God even helps us make those right choices. But, in the end, the decision comes down to you and me of whether we will do right in the sight of God or not.
By Carey Scott

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