Grasping for Control

Why do people have such a need to be in control of situations? It's almost comical sometimes. Those who most struggle to gain control of a situation normally are those who are absolutely not in control. Still they struggle to gain the upper hand. Sometimes I wonder if they suffer from constant headaches as they beat their head against brick walls that are not going to fall despite their efforts.

Why do we have such a need to be in control? Sometimes it's based in a sense of entitlement. People can feel entitled because of who they are, a position they hold, or some "wrong" that they perceive has been committed against them in the past. Authority over circumstances is rarely handed to those who simply complain the loudest; legitimate control is earned.

Others desperately search for control because of fear. They fear that things will not turn out the way they hoped. They fear that someone will be more successful than they are. They fear seeing someone else getting credit for a job well done while their dreams lie crumpled in the corner.

Most often, those seeking control are unable to admit that they are powerless. Their world spins out of control and they tighten their grip on things that they perceive they can control. They resort to manipulation, deception, and abusive behavior in order to hide the fact that everything in their life is not running as smoothly as they would like to have people believe.

The only way to allow your world to come back into some sense of stability is by admitting that we really don't have control. We have no power over tomorrow. Circumstances are going to occur; some things are not going to turn out as we had hoped. Yet when we give up control, it is important to accept that we are not hopelessly tossing our future to the wind. Instead, we are placing our hope for tomorrow in the God who holds tomorrow!  We add our voice with the Psalmist as he declared "When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" (Psalm 56:3-4, NIV)

Next time to find yourself grasping for control, lighten the grip on the reins and hand them over to the One who promises to have plans for your good instead. (Jeremiah 29:11)