Out of Our Control

By Vickie G. Paver

Each day brings new challenges into our lives and changes us in some way. Many of these changes are out of our control. Sometimes we suffer the loss of a friendship because each person goes their separate way.  Occasionally we go through the loss of someone we love through death. Maybe we have to deal with an adult child who's riding on the wild side.  As we grow older, we can be faced with the loss of our health.

Not just major happenings in our life are out of our control. Little things in our life, such as the clerk who was nasty, the paperboy who was late, and the child who spills that whole glass of milk, are all beyond our control. In any event, we ask ourselves if there is anything that we could have done differently. In MOST cases, probably not. Daily life deals each of us many things, big or small, that are out of our control.

The major concern is figuring out how to we deal with these on a daily basis. Many times I have let little and big things distress me to the point that it affects my logical thinking. After awhile, it slowly sinks in that most of these things "out of my control" need not send me into a tailspin. I begin to relax and my brain begins to reason normally, whatever that may be (grin.) The milk that spilled on the clean tablecloth is soon forgotten. Some things take longer to deal with. The loss of a friendship, health or the loss of a loved one may be something we have to work through for a long time. Each day that we can submit to the fact that we cannot change it, helps us have peace within. Acceptance doesn't mean that we don't hurt. It just means that we are not letting the circumstances out of our control, control us.

The bottom line is that we need to take one day at a time and make the best of it. If one day we worry, cry, act seemingly unreasonable, let us be forgiving of ourselves and remember that tomorrow is a new day. God knows that we are human and as Paul said in II Corinthians 12:8-10: 8. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ rest upon me. 10. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Like Paul, many of us ask God to take these things from us, to get us out of certain circumstances. However, He doesn't always work that way. Paul asked Him three times! Then came acceptance. Get the message. We can have strength through God, even in our weakest moments, during those times we think we cannot go one step further. During those times, when we are distressed or just mad at the world, Paul is saying no matter what, we can have strength and fulfillment in Jesus Christ. And when Paul said he took pleasure in these things, he was saying that Christ had this tremendous opportunity to show that there is strength for those who will lean on God. So, we don't have to give up. We have hope. That hope is Jesus Christ. Let's give God an opportunity to work out the best in us through all of our circumstances, whether out of our control or not.