Isn't it funny that we often have a case of double mindedness. We feel like we know the best course for our destiny and yet desperately desire for God to be in control.
Even people who do not follow God yearn for a higher power to guide their steps. Saying things such as 'If its meant to be it will happen', or 'everything happens for a reason'. People say this to feel secure because even amongst their fierce independence they recognise a lack of control.
Those who are 'captain of their ship and master of their souls' deep down sense their frailty, hate to acknowledge their imperfection and understand that once in a while something happens that they cannot control.
At that point suddenly those captains who cannot access the helm hope that a higher power would start to steer their ship and look favourably on their life.
'In control' is the way of the world.
The world says you can be a God. Answer to yourself and control your own destiny. But when those hardships come, they come bringing the knowledge that we cannot possibly be a God.
To believers those hardships can be a great x-ray into ours hearts. Helping us to check what we are believing.
''Are we freaking out? Or are we convinced that everything outside our hands is in better hands?''
Perhaps you say ' Amen Sister!', but lets check ourselves. Even as believers the worldly perspective above can creep in. How often do we consult God as to which way we should go? Do we first determine a path and then ask God to bless it? Or do we ask him to have his way and open any door he deems best even if we have a preference?
Is he our first port of call? or a last resort when things go wrong? Does he get to discuss options with you in their embryonic form? Or is he treated as a genie who is called out of the lamp once you've chosen a path and hit a snag?
Lots of questions I know! But vital ones!
We cannot live as a double minded man or woman.
We cannot live a life said says 'God is master of my fate but I am captain of my soul'.
When we live like this it is inevitably that we will strike upon rocks of fear and anxiety. Wondering if we have made the right decisions. Frantically striving in our own strength to make things happen or sending up prayers that lack any power or conviction.
The power behind being 'out of control'
'God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and of a sound mind' 2 Timothy 1:7.
Note that it is not our spirit. We have been given a new spirit. God's spirit. His spirit does not strive, worry or feel helpless. So when we live by what he has put inside us allowing him to be in control we will live the carefree life we were always meant to live.
''Sure, hardships will come but they will be as water of a ducks back. They will not be harmful and they do not change the fact that God has the best way forward.''
We were meant to be as little children who follow daddy we don't need to ask questions and understand everything all the time because daddy is in control and taking us somewhere fun. Children don't bore themselves with the logistics. When a questionable thing happens around a child their knee-jerk reaction is to look to their dad. If he is calm, they are calm.
God is calm. Seated in heaven and closer than our skin he laughs at fear and the schemes of the world. Lets laugh with him. After all his spirit is within us.
Letting God have the first and final say is the safest decision we could ever make for the best life possible. after all thats what believers and un believers are searching for alike. We all want to know that we lived life in the best possible way and that it counted for something.