Control

I like to be in control. I think most people would agree with me. I like to make the decisions that affect my life. I don’t like being told what to do. In my job, I have the privilege (and responsibility) for making significant decisions on a daily basis. At work, other than my CEO setting overarching goals and needing to comply with company policies, I pretty much decide what I’m doing every day, every week, and the coming year.

At church, I am also a leader and it’s not too often that I am told to do something (except for what songs to play during the worship service – and I gladly let someone else do this). People often look to me to make decisions and set direction for our church.

At the same time, I know I need to let God lead me in my life – in all aspects of my life. This is an on-going challenge for me. I need to constantly remind myself to let my life be lead by the Holy Spirit. Our small group recently finished a seven week study on the Holy Spirit, based on the book Forgotten God, by Francis Chan. I love how down-to-earth Francis comes across in his brief DVD segments that form part of the study. He has the same struggles with this as you and I.

“When it comes down to it, many of us do not really want to be led by the Holy Spirit. Or, more fundamentally, many of us don’t want to be led by anyone other than ourselves. The whole idea of giving up control (or the delusion of it) is terrifying, isn’t it?” Francis Chan, Forgotten God.

One of the questions that keeps coming up is ‘how do I know that what I’m doing now is a result of being led by the Spirit’? We wish that there would be some clear message from God – a voice from heaven or perhaps a lengthy email from God with details on what we should be doing.

One way, as suggested by Francis Chan, is to use the Bible as a guide or filter. God will never ask us to do something contrary to His will, and what we are doing should be taking us towards (not away) from achieving the Great Commandment and Great Commission.

The other thing we need to do is earnestly ask for the Spirit’s leading (through prayer) and be listening for and ready to act upon the response. Our lives have become so busy, so noisy that it can be hard to hear God’s voice in response to our prayers. We need to set time aside every day, every week to turn everything off and actively listen for God’s voice. Sometimes, God speaks to us through people around us. They might be asking for our help, pointing out an opportunity that they think is a good fit for us, suggesting (in a loving way we hope) that there are things we need to do or stop doing. Often, when I’m not sure about something, I will discuss it with people who know me well and they will usually provide me with insights about me that make my decision easier.

In all things, we need to remember that God has promised to be with us wherever we go, in whatever we do, and there is no mistake we can make that God will not forgive. Even when we fail Him, He still loves us. Even if we take on something that seems impossible, He has the power to make it happen. If we honestly believe God is leading us in a direction that seems crazy from an earthly point of view, we can trust that He will be with us every step of the way.

It’s kind of like riding a roller coaster for the first time. As you move up the line and get closer to the ride, your heart rate increases, you get a strange feeling in your stomach, and you have a strong desire to bolt from the line and find a safe place to hide. Yet, you also see people exiting from the ride, safe and sound, laughing and full of energy. So, you get on the coaster, strap yourself in, and trust that you will be safe and have fun even though you don’t know exactly what will happen. And when it’s over, you are glad you took that leap of faith, and you look forward to doing it all again.

Jac