Control Freak

“God this endless Being decides it all for us... we dont make choices that he hasn't already planned out for us... we dont make choices that even matter... He decided it all already... He tells us what to think what to eat when to sleep”

I don’t understand this feeling…I don’t grasp it. And it hurts me that my friend feels this way about his life: the helplessness and hopelessness which comes out in his everyday actions. I doubt that my words will even do anything or mean anything to him, if he even reads this, but I feel it needs to be said.

My view: God knows the future and what will happen in 10 minutes, 10 hours, 10 days, 1000 years. He knows the facts of what will be. But this is not the result solely of God’s discretion. Without going into too much theology, the future was written into time at the creation, which includes the choices of sinful humans.

It is almost as if there are two futures. One that will be and one that would be if God did exercise complete control over us. His future is one of light burdens and easy yokes (Matt 11:30). His ideal is that no one would perish eternally (2 Peter 3:9). That is what life would be like if He had His way with our lives as was expressed above.

But as another one of my friends said, there are certainly things I have done which I know were NOT God’s plan. How often does life push us from Him? How often are our burdens beyond what we can carry? Life, the future, while known by God, is not controlled by Him. So what is His role? Helpless observer up in heaven going “Shoot, she messed up again! Oh, and look, she’s going to do it again. Yep, her future is not in my plan- she’s worthless.” NO- NO-NO!

“If there be a God…then all is well, for certainly he would not give being to such a woman, and than throw her aside as a failure and forget her. It is strange to see, though, how he permits his work to be thwarted. To be the perfect God notwithstanding, he must be able to turn the very thwarting to higher furtherance.” Thomas Wingfold by George MacDonald*. This turning of the thwarting may not be in your life, but in some other life, who has been willing to let God lead them. That is how God reaches in to change and control the future- where He has been invited in.

But I also believe that God can use you when you don’t allow Him to directly. He has created this world and has made it so that some choices are more beneficial to the individual as well as His plan for salvation and redemption. In our own selfishness, we may make these choices, in line with His best plan, without that as our main motivation.

So what? What does it matter? Your choices are your own to make. You get to control where your life goes and what happens. But all your choices boil down to one basic choice- to follow your own plan or God’s. Yes, they may align sometimes, against your will likely. When you give Him control, He will use you and your life for His plan. And while you may not have handed that to Him directly, He has come in because you have chosen an action in line with His plan.

I don’t have this all figured out. I’m sure many theologians would contest some of my thoughts, as well as others just like me. But this is my belief, and it works for me. And I can only pray that God will lead you to a place where you can say the same thing: I don’t know it all, I don’t need to, but I will accept what does make sense and walk on in faith from there. It’s a big step, but it is possible with Him. He is the cure for colorblindness, but that is for another blog another time- this one is quite long as it is.

Please, your thoughts and reactions are requested! Just do it with a helpful, humble spirit.

*If you have not read George MacDonald, I highly recommend him. I have only read a few of his fairy tales and some of his novels, but if you enjoy C.S. Lewis, you will love MacDonald (he inspired Lewis). The novel this comes from is a great tale of a young curate’s journey to find out if he really believes what he has preached in front of so many. More from this novel later.