Who Is in Control?

We stood under the shelter waiting for the storm to blow over. One of my teammates zipped their bag closed and said, “What are you going to do? Can’t control the weather.”

I couldn’t argue with him. We can’t control the weather. And when you think about it, there’s way more than the weather we can’t control.

I wouldn’t consider myself a control freak; however, I am, ahem, more comfortable when I’m in charge of things than when I’m not.

You may be the same way.

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For me, when I’m not in control of events happening around me or to me, my anxiety ramps. Of course, the level of risk affects how high my anxiety goes, but it doesn’t take an extraordinarily dangerous situation to get me out of whack.

Daily living has plenty of “out of control” situations for any of us. Here are a few.

1. Driving – I may be in control of things like my attention, use of safety features, and the vehicles general speed and maneuvering. I’m not in control of other drivers, weather, traffic control lights, or animals or pedestrians who may step or run out in front of me.
2. People – I have no control of any other human being. Everyone has the ability to control themselves. That means I am not in control of how someone may react to what I do or say on any given day.
3. Some health conditions – I have control over how I treat my body. I’m not in control of all hereditary diseases or other illnesses that may attack me no matter how much I exercise or how well I eat.
4. Time – This is an interesting one. I may want to slow time or speed it up, but I am far from being able to control it. Time is going to march along regardless of my wants or needs. If I’ve got something coming up I’m dreading, I may be able to do all I can to prepare, but it’s coming whether I want it to or not.

The question is what do I do about my lack of control? I can prepare to be as safe as possible while driving, take great care in how I deal with people, eat well and exercise, and use my time wisely. Other than those actions, I have to relinquish control.

Jesus shared a suggestion on this very topic in the book of Mark.

“On that day, when evening came, He said to them, ‘Let’s go over to the other side.’ After dismissing the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and the other boats were with Him. And a fierce wind developed, and he waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling with water. And yet Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?’ And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Hush, be still.’ And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?’ They became very much afraid and said to one another, ‘Who, then, is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?’ (Mark 4:35-41, NASB)

Here’s our answer. We put our faith in the One who is in control.

The disciples experienced a seemingly “out of control” situation. They believed their boat to be in danger of sinking. I can see why. If their boat had already begun to take on water, the idea of sinking would be a real possibility. They forgot one thing. The man able to control the wind and the sea slept only a few feet away.

Jesus was with them.

When you think about it, you and I are in control of very little. I’ve had enough happen to me over my lifetime to know placing my faith in myself is not a good idea. I make poor choices, am often driven by emotion, am prone to forgetfulness, and just out-and-out make mistakes. No way relying on myself is a good idea. And, other people have the same issues, so I don’t want to rely on them, either. So, what do we do?

Remember, Jesus is with us. He is closer than a few feet away. If we’ve accepted His call to be joined spiritually, He is in us. No matter where we are or what we’re doing, the One in control is with us.

Who is in control of your life?

Today’s feature photo comes from a “photo-a-day” challenge I pursued several years ago. The photo inspires the topic. For me, the posts challenge my creativity, writing discipline, and dependence on God for His message. My prayer is that you find hope in God’s Word, and that you’ll share your hope with others.