It’s amusing how much control we think we have. Some people even refer to themselves (or have others refer to them as such behind their backs) as control-freaks. They must be in control of every situation and detail, or they aren’t happy. Most of us like to feel in control of our time, our finances, and our entertainment. In the grand scheme of things, this would be hilarious if it weren’t so sad. As human beings, we’re in control of almost nothing.
We can’t control the weather, the economy, or the government. We can’t control how fast we fall asleep, how tall or short we are, or one bit of our DNA. I submit the only things we control are our faith, our attitude, our outlook, and our actions. That’s it! It may not seem like a lot, but if we make wise decisions in these four areas, we will live an amazing life, just as God intends for us.
Our Faith
The biggest decision we will ever make is about our faith. We will either accept that Jesus is the Son of God, died for our sins, and calls us to be His disciple or we will reject Him altogether. God gave us the free will to accept or reject Him. Everything else in the entirety of your life hinges on what you will do with Jesus. Don’t mess this one up. You’re in control. Surrender your life to Him.
Our Attitude
No one controls your attitude but you. We can let others dictate our attitude based on how they treat us, but even then, we are the ones choosing to abdicate responsibility for our attitude. It’s our choice. As followers of Christ, our attitude should always be to love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and to love others as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39; Luke 10:27).
Our Outlook
We can see the future as full of hope and opportunity, or with unease and dread. We control whether we will see the good in things or the bad. Cynicism is a learned mindset; we are in control of whether we will succumb to it. God created us with hope inside us. We look forward to the day we will be with Him forever. That is our ultimate hope, but we control whether we will keep our focus there.
Our Actions
No matter our circumstances, we control how we respond. God has given us the free will to act as we choose. We have no one to blame for our actions but ourselves. The things we say and the things we do are under our control. We choose. We decide.
Are We In Control?
We control our destiny because we control what we will do for Jesus. If we accept Him, love Him, and live for Him, our eternity is safe and assured. We control how we respond to others and how we will face the day. Our outlook is under our control. Jesus has left our actions and words under our control. He gives that freedom so we can choose Him. We aren’t in control of what goes on around us, but we can control what happens inside us. We control what we will do with Jesus, and how we allow Him to use us for His glory.
Don’t get hung up on all the things you can’t control. Focus on what you can control. Follow Jesus. Love others as He loves you. See the best in others and yourself. Speak only kind and encouraging words. Serve others. We control whether we will live for Jesus or live for ourselves. That’s what we control.