Monday, November 28, 2005

MOVE OVER

You’ve probably seen a bumper sticker saying, “God is my Co-pilot”. I know I have and I used to think it was a good one. Not anymore. It’s all about CONTROL. No one wants to say it out loud, but we humans WANT to be in control of our lives. We feel threatened when anything gets out of the “plan” we have set in our minds for how things should be done. From there it’s a downhill spiral into fear, anger, resentment, and sometimes bitterness against God for “what He’s done to me”. Forget that He’s given us everything we need to keep out of the situation if we just rely on Him and not ourselves. It’s still HIS fault, right?

Here’s a truth we all need, and I mean NEED to fix in our minds: GOD IS GOD AND I AM NOT. Whether we really WANT to acknowledge the sovereignty of God and His ultimate control over our lives or not, He still IS sovereign and holds the final say. My mom has said many times, “This is God’s sandbox and we have to play by His rules”. If you don’t like that, I challenge you to find another sandbox.

Some interesting things have happened in our family over the last two years. It’s been a rough road of unknowns and flat out fears sometimes as to what is coming next. But every time we let go and allowed God to have the control of the situation it came out SO much better than we could have manipulated it to be. I think we’re finally learning to let that control go sooner.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’”

The plan of God is for welfare and HOPE. What happens when we try to take back over? Calamity. The definition of calamity? According to Webster’s dictionary: 1 : a state of deep distress or misery caused by major misfortune or loss or 2 : a disastrous event marked by great loss and lasting distress and suffering *calamities of nature* *an economic calamity*

Anyone see a difference in the outcomes from when God has the control and when we try to take control? Hmm.

STOP FIGHTING GOD. You are wrestling with the Almighty God, Creator of everything and you have some misguided thought that you MIGHT win. Talk about arrogance. We humans think we know better than the One who put this world in motion with just a thought. Psalm 8:3-9 says, “When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; What is man that Thou dost take thought of him? And the son of man, that Though dost care for him? Yet Thou hast made him a little lower than God, And dost crown him with glory and majesty!”

My father recently noticed a change in my email signature line and it prompted a discussion. For years Psalm 46:10 has been MY verse. “Be still and know that I AM God….” The New American Standard Version of Scripture reads, “Cease striving and know that I AM God…” and I’ve changed my sig line to say this instead. Why? I see SO many people striving to be God in their own lives. I then see, and sometimes have to help council them through, the calamity which ensues. “Be still” has a great meaning. I doubt the NAS version will start being seen on coffee mugs and such anytime soon. But the MEANING of the NAS version is what appeals to me. Quit TRYING TO BE GOD and let Him do what He does best!

I’ve also seen bumper stickers which fix the original problem and say, “If God is your Co-pilot, move over.” Try it God’s way. The road is going to be bumpy, more than bumpy at times, but I guarantee His way is MUCH better in the long run.

2 comments:

Kelly said...

Great post...so tell us, praying your Pilot takes you somewhere amazing.

Terri said...

I totally agree with you. It IS all about control.

Terri