Control

In the fantasy movie, STAR WARS, a frustrated Yoda demanded of a weary Luke Skywalker, "Control, you must learn control."

In Galatians 5:22-23, in God's Word, self-control is listed as a fruit of the Spirit.

Have you ever noticed how hard self-control is to develop and then maintain?

In thinking about control and self-control, I reflected on the notes from the chapel presentation Garry made this summer at Trail Ridge, and which appear as a special guest post on this blog.

He reviewed both major and minor issues we'd faced in the last 18 months and then listed several lessons we'd learned from them. The first lesson regarded the sovereignty of God. This sovereignty extends over every aspect of every life, but not every person recognizes it. Someday everyone will, however.

I realized that self-control is needed every time I realize I have no control. Let me explain. There are times I know I have little or no control over circumstances, in meta matters, and so can let go and bring the issues of my heart to the Lord in prayer [i.e., Philippians 4]. Then there are the other things over which I think [unrealistically] that I ought to, or do, have some control and when I don't--ugly sin.

Control is something only God fully has at all times over all creation. When He wishes to, He will delegate control to a person or to a group to accomplish His will. He delegates control in keeping with responsibility.

And He requires self-control of His family, but also provides the means through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit. God never asks what He does not provide the means to accomplish.

So when I recognize a situation over which I have been given no control--and there are many--it is my responsibility to exert self-control and to pray, committing the situation to the One who has control over all circumstances.