Control

I don’t know about anyone else, but I struggle with control. Not self-control, rather wanting to have control of situations around me. I have often felt like control is the opposite of chaos. And, who knows, maybe?

So, as you may know, I have a German Shepard. She is smart, mostly calm, doesn’t get into things she shouldn’t too often, and she sheds. A lot. And as much as I adore her, I don’t like dog hair to be on my clothes, furniture, the carpet. Even limiting her to the downstairs, there is still dog hair on the stairs, upstairs, everywhere. I find myself finding clumps of it everywhere. I will spend 30 minutes at a time brushing her coat, a couple times a day, brushing off enough hair to have my own fur coat, and she still manages to shed. Talk about no control.

In prayer the other day, desiring to be more like Jesus, a thought came to my mind, I needed to let go of all control. Um.. this is me. I find safety in the predictability, therefore, I need my environment to be controlled.

But you know, this goes against the very nature of God. Our all powerful (omnipotent), all knowing (omniscient), all seeing, everywhere at once (omnipresent) God has the ability to control everything and everyone, yet He doesn’t. Well, clearly He does, but He doesn’t. He grants us all free will.

When we turn our hearts to Him, surrender, and allow Him to take complete control of our lives – we still have free will. We can choose to listen to Him, or not. We can choose to serve Him, or not. We can choose to follow the Word of God, or not. God doesn’t force us to believe, do His will, obey, or even follow after Him. It’s not that He can’t control us in this manner, He chooses not to control us in this manner.

If He did control us, that would nullify ‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭3:9‬ ‭KJV‬‬: “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

… not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance… We all have a choice. I’m thankful for it.

There was a time when I was lost in sin – not realizing that I was lost. But, thank the Lord, He never gave up on me. I’m so very thankful for redemption. Just because I lived a life full of sin and shame, He was, and remains, faithful and just to forgive my sins, when I came to a true place of repentance.