ILLUSIONS OF CONTROL
Most things in life we can’t control: when or where we are born or die, our character, personality or physical appearance. This pandemic has forced us to be more aware of how little control we have in life. We can’t totally prevent exposure to COVID19 or control its’ severity if we get infected. We can’t even control the economic impact.
In America we like to think we are in control of our lives and circumstances, but it is an illusion. Control has always been an illusion. We just recognize it more clearly under these conditions. It is not a matter of losing control but rather we never had it to start!
Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us who is in control-God. In addition, it is comforting to know He has our best interests at heart (Isaiah 41:10). It’s in His hands if and when a cure is found or if it gets worse. The economy is in His hands also. Our lives and loved ones are in His hands. What better place could we be than in the hands of our sovereign, loving, merciful God!
What CAN we control? -our response to the uncertainty and to trust Him. As a child trusts his parents for things he cannot control, so we trust our heavenly Father for all that is out of our control.
Luke 12:22-26 “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?”
Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Does loss of control bring fear into your lives? Where do you sense that the most? Think about those areas and read the verses again, applying them specifically to your fears. Do that throughout the day whenever these thoughts return.