Control Freak

That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. ~Matthew 6:25-34

I have a problem with control. I need control in my life to feel secured. If things do not go my way, I can feel as little as bummed to a little more irritated. I don't know if it's me, but it seems our society is fixated on having control. How many of us have claimed to have OCD?

In this passage, Jesus is expressing the idea of our human nature for control and security. Previously in the chapter, he had been talking about money, and the love for money. This is where he had said, "Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." He goes on to say, No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." All of this is to tell our human nature to give up what in this life can give us security-- money. Money is the way to get the neccesities of life, such as food, water, a home, clothes, among other things. Jesus is pretty much talking about the need for control of security.

Earlier this year, I had written on a note contentment. It was during a time in my life where God was howing me that no matter how many meals I get in a day or what kind of clothes I wore I was going to have what I need to live for Christ, money or no money to get by. See in our world today, I think we are taught by the media and the influence of others that contentment is never found in one thing; probably because no one can agree on what will fulfill a person. Yet Jesus is saying contentment is found in only one person; that is in him. The point I'm trying to make from this passage from chapter 6 of Matthew is that our security is only found in Christ. Not in the money we have in savings, the dream home we own, or the designer clothes that will get us attention. It's only found in God.

Right now in my life, I am lacking security in Christ. He is holding onto me with tighter grip, but I feel like I have been fighting that grip trying to go my own way sometimes. What I desire now is not control in what I can see here on earth. Instead I am learning, yet again, to see beyond this earth's securities, or protection, and looking to the will of God, and the eternal valuable plan he has for my life. There maybe some days that he has to mold me like clay into his image, but it is going to be so that I am ready for eternity with him.

Psalm 39:5 says, "You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath..." Today as we consider the idea that our need for control in our lives is really an insecure problem with the Lord, what things do we have to do inorder to let him have the control of our lives, and us stop trying to be our own gods? Maybe we have to pray for his control in our lives. Maybe even lift our hands up and tell him we will stop fighting him to have control in our lives. Let's not detour from the plan he has for us, but start listening and stepping out in faith that he holds us securely, and we do not have to worry about having to have control. 

"Control" JJ Heller