I will admit it, I like to be in control of my life. I like knowing what is coming up next. I like being able to make decisions long before I have to so I can anticipate the future. I loathe uncertainty. I get anxious when there is uncertainty. The more I can plan, the more I know, the more I can predict, the more control I have and the better I function and feel. Maybe it is because I am a guy. Maybe it is because of my background. Maybe it is because of my personality but I really like to be in control. Whatever the reason, I am not alone as a guy who wants to be in control.
In over two decades of pastoral ministry, I have interacted with many men who feel the same way that I do - they want to be in control. By the way, I don’t think wanting to be in control is exclusively a male thing. I have known a number of females that have the same need to be in control. But we guys seem to be particularly prone to this need. We find ourselves wanting to live out the words of the famous poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley. The final lines say,
“It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.”
Society even seem to teach us that we are expected to be this in control, self sufficient manly man. Nothing gets us down. We have everything under control and can solve all the problems. Isn’t that what all the action heroes do? They are the master of their fates and they are the captain of their soul. But that isn’t the picture that Scripture paints of men who are spiritual leaders.
Solomon, the wisest man in the world tells us in Proverbs, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. “Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT). It’s a very different picture isn’t it? This month we are going to explore what it means to let God lead in our lives using Solomon’s advice as our guide. We will discover the freedom that comes when we let God take control instead of us attempting to be the master of our fate.
Conversation:
- Do you find yourself needing to be in control?
Recommended Book
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