Who’s Really In Control - It’s Not Who You Think

How much control do you really have over your life? How much control do you desire over your life?

Most of us think we have control. We choose where to live, who to marry, what career to pursue, how to spend our money, what to eat, where to vacation, and what goals we want to accomplish.

Every day we make hundreds of decisions, and those decisions usually produce predictable results. We call it “cause and effect”. If you study hard, you’ll probably make better grades. If you work hard, you’ll probably advance in your career. If you neglect your health, you’ll likely experience the consequences. God designed the world so that our choices matter.

But let me scramble your thinking for a minute. Have you ever heard someone say, “God is sovereign”? It’s one of those phrases Christians use all the time, yet many people, including many Christians, would struggle to explain what it actually means.

Why is this important? Because every one of us wants to end up somewhere. We want a successful marriage, healthy children, financial security, meaningful work, peace, joy, and a life that matters. The question is, what’s the best path to get there?

The Bible says the best path is God’s. Why?

Because God’s sovereignty means He is the highest authority in the universe. Nothing happens outside of His knowledge, His permission, or His ultimate plan and control. He isn’t reacting to history as it unfolds. He is ruling over it.

That doesn’t mean people are robots or that our choices don’t matter. We make real decisions every day, and we are responsible for those decisions. But it does mean that none of our decisions can ever derail God’s ultimate purposes or plans.

That can be difficult to understand, so let me give you a few pictures.

Imagine a father teaching his child to ride a bicycle. The child is really pedaling, steering, and making decisions. Sometimes the child turns the wrong way or starts to fall. But the father is running alongside with one hand on the seat. The child has freedom to ride, yet the father never loses ultimate control of the situation.

Or think about your GPS. You’re driving somewhere, and the GPS tells you to turn right. Instead, you decide to turn left. The GPS didn’t make you turn the wrong way. That was your decision. Within seconds it calmly says, “Recalculating,” and begins directing you toward the destination again. Your wrong turn was real. It may have cost you time and frustration, but it didn’t stop you from reaching the destination. God’s sovereignty is infinitely greater than that. He doesn’t recalculate because He was surprised. He already knew every wrong turn you would take, and His purposes were never in danger.

Here’s another picture.

Imagine a judge sentencing a criminal to prison. The judge didn’t commit the crime. The criminal is fully responsible for his actions. But the judge uses the prison system to carry out justice. In the same way, Babylon wanted wealth, power, and conquest. Those were Babylon’s sinful motives. Yet God used Babylon as His instrument to bring judgment upon Judah after generations of rebellion. Later, God judged Babylon for its own pride and violence. God wasn’t approving Babylon’s sin, He was accomplishing His purposes through it.

The Bible teaches this from beginning to end. Joseph’s brothers hated him. They threw him into a pit, sold him into slavery, and lied to their father for years. They were completely responsible for what they did. Yet years later Joseph could honestly tell them, “You meant to hurt me, but God turned your evil into good…” (Genesis 50:20, NCV). The brothers had one purpose. God had another. The same event accomplished both.

What took me here today, was a verse I read: “The Lord sent raiding parties from Babylon, Aram, Moab, and Ammon against Jehoiakim to destroy Judah.” (2 Kings 24:2, NCV) It says “God sent them … “.

Those nations weren’t trying to obey God. They wanted power, money, and more land. Yet above their plans was God’s plan. Judah had ignored God’s warnings for centuries, and now God was carrying out exactly what He had promised through His prophets. Babylon thought it was building an empire. In reality, it was unknowingly serving the purposes of God. It messes with your mind - right?

The truth is, you aren’t going to outwit or out think God. He’s the creator, you and I are the creation.

The writers of Proverbs understood this well. “People can make many plans, but only the Lord’s plan will happen.” (Proverbs 19:21, NCV). James reminds us not to boast about tomorrow but instead to say, “If the Lord wants, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:15, NCV). And Paul gives believers tremendous hope when he writes, “We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. They are the people God called, because that was his plan.” (Romans 8:28, NCV).

Looking back, I can now see God’s fingerprints all over my life, even in chapters where I couldn’t see Him at work. He was patient when I was rebellious, merciful when I deserved judgment, and faithful when I wasn’t faithful. My sinful decisions were real, and I was responsible for every one of them. But they never derailed God’s ultimate purposes for my life. Through His grace, He redeemed them, used them, and ultimately drew me to Himself.

I know all of this may sound a little “churchy” if you’re not a believer. I understand that. But let me simply tell you what happened to me.

God changed my desires. I didn’t. I know that because I’m the one who experienced it.

I’ve forgiven people who never asked for forgiveness. I’ve learned to love people who aren’t easy to love. And yes, before you remind me, I know there are days when I’m probably not that easy to love either. The point isn’t that I somehow became a better person through more willpower or self-discipline. The point is that God miraculously did something inside of me that I could never have done on my own.

When I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, He gave me His Holy Spirit. Little by little, He began changing my heart, my desires, my thinking, and my priorities. I still struggle. I still fail. But I don’t love the things I used to love, and I don’t want the life I once wanted. I can’t take credit for that.

God did it. That’s His sovereignty. That’s His grace. That’s healing and restoring at a level that we just can’t understand.

So now, when I make plans, I try to hold them with an open hand. James says we should say, “If the Lord wants, we will live and do this or that.” I still make plans. I still set goals. I still work hard. But I know that every plan is subject to God’s better plan. My choices matter, but they can never overrule what God ultimately intends to accomplish in my life.

One day the greatest ruler of all, Nebuchadnezzar went crazy, then later was healed - God allowed this. In the end, no wonder Nebuchadnezzar himself eventually confessed after God humbled him,

“He does what he wants with the powers of heaven and the people on earth. No one can stop him or say to him, ‘What are you doing?’” (Daniel 4:35, NCV)

The greatest freedom in life isn’t finally getting control, I believe it’s finally trusting the One who has always had it.

GOD, I know so many struggling and need help. Please help them. I know many who need healing, please heal them. I know many who think “I got this” - please loving show them they don’t have it. Help us all depend on you fist, last, and always. IJNIP amen ♥️