We do not need to be in control, because God is in control

Prov.19:21

Prayer: God, Help me remember that you are in control and I can trust you. Amen.

Reading:

Having a sense of control feels good. Even as kids, we wanted to decide what to eat and when to go to bed—not our parents. There’s something very alluring about being the one who decides an outcome. But that longing to be the one in charge can also fuel a common false belief: I must be in control to be safe, secure, and satisfied.

For instance, we might feel safer on a road trip when we’re in the driver’s seat (control), trusting in our ability to react quickly to avoid a dangerous collision.

We may feel more secure when we’re the only person who has access to the family savings account (control) because we can make sure that money does what we want it to do.

We might feel more satisfied when we’re the one planning the upcoming vacation (control) because we know all the best sights to see and dining options.

But that “control” is ultimately an illusion, right? We’ve all experienced bad weather or some unexpected emergency that tossed our well-made plans out the window. After all, we can’t really fully control anything, can we?

King Solomon, who has been referred to as the wisest man who ever lived, wrote these words:

Many are the plans in a person’s mind, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:21)

We do not need to be in control, because God is in control.

While we may not be fully in control of our lives, we can lean on the one who is. We have limited perspective, seeing only what affects us. But God has an unlimited perspective. He sees the past, present, and future for everything and everyone.

While we may not fully understand why things sometimes go sideways in life, we know God loves us and cares about what happens to us. Even when our lives are not going the way we hoped, we know that God is not caught off guard and that he is with us. And what’s more, his ultimate purposes will prevail.

Yes, it can be frustrating when we aren’t in control. It can be disappointing and even heartbreaking when our plans fall apart. But it’s worth remembering…

Even when I feel like I’m in control, I’m really not.

No matter what happens, God is with me.

God’s purposes will ultimately be accomplished. 

Reflection:

In what areas of my life do I find myself fighting for control, and how can I remember to trust God with those things this week?

From Abandonment to Adoption

Exodus 1:8-22

Exodus 2:1-15

Hebrews 11:22-29

Ok, let’s be honest. Moses begins life as a basket case, literally. At the age of 3 months, he  is placed in a basket of reeds and sent up the creek without a paddle. Well actually, it was the Nile river, and his mother who had kept him hidden, finally felt she had no safe choice but to let him drift away.

This is the world Moses was born into and his mother, Jochebed was left with a cruel and difficult choice: protect the life of her newborn son, or protect the rest of her family, including Miriam and Aaron. But God was with Moses, even in this terrible choice.

Let’s look at two stages of Moses’ early life.

1. ABANDONMENT

Moses enters life in a terrible era and at 3 months old, his own mother is compelled to abandon him. Psychology teaches us that we can experience a sense of abandonment even from the womb. Imagine being placed in the situation Moses was in?

In our current world, a sense of abandonment has been greatly heightened. Our society experiences absence due to work pressures, family breakdowns, and increased mental health issues. So how do we learn to cope with our own feelings of being let down by our family of origin?

This is where the spiritual dimension kicks in, as we discover that God has a plan unfolding in all our distresses and that even what the enemy intends for evil can be used for good. For Moses, he went from abandonment to adoption.

2. ADOPTION

Moses finds himself being nursed by his natural mother and yet also being adopted into the world of royalty. It’s a remarkable shift of circumstance for this baby and would prove to be pivotal in helping shape his character and leadership in the future. God's promises are unfolding in our changing circumstances.

In the New Testament, Paul goes to great lengths to convey the thought that all of us are adopted in Jesus Christ. We all experience the utter grace and love of being adopted no matter what our background has been.

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ, we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.” Romans 8:14-17 NLT.

We are so often fixated on what we don’t have that we neglect the incredible potential in what we do have. The challenge, of course, is what we do with that potential. Will we live as self-serving, and self-made individuals? Or will we serve something greater than ourselves?

CONCLUSION

“Who do you think you are?” This was the question the Hebrew man threw at Moses and then he knew his crime was not hidden. It’s a big question, and relevant to us today. What about you? Who do you think you are? Do you know what potential has been placed in you?

Answering this question will determine so much of life’s outcomes. It will set you on a path, and ultimately draw something great out of you, if you allow it.

Let's Sum it Up

1 Cor.16:13 -14

James 1:22-24

1 Cor.13;11

I hope these past six days have genuinely impacted you. But honestly, we can read or hear these words, know they are trustworthy, and believe we need to change, but without action, we can EXPECT NOTHING! 

Resist the temptation of being a lawnmower Christian. What is that you ask? A lawnmower Christian opens the Word, reads a passage or two, checks a box saying they completed the days reading, and immediately walks away and forgets what they read. This type of person is just mowing down the words to look back and say, “I did it, and it looks good.” But what they don't see are the weeds, ready to pop up and overtake the healthy grass.

James 1:22-24 (NIV) says, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like."

Therefore, be intentional as you read and grow, primarily as you reflect on 1 Corinthians 16:13-14. God doesn't need more men with a head knowledge, but rather, those whose hearts are filled with the anticipation of moving towards who they were created to be. Men of action!

Warning: When we decide to be that man, it invites all kinds of evil from the deceiver, but the Word instructs (and empowers) us to resist the devil, and he will flee! 

So now you know: a Christ-centered, legacy-minded man is a godly man who:

· *Is alert and on guard at all time*

· *Stands firm in the faith,* knowing what AND why he believes what he does

· Is *courageous, moving from fear to trust* 

· *Is strong, persisting* and persevering through trials

· *Loves much, first the Lord and then his neighbors.* 

No doubt, it takes work, but isn't our God worth it?

One more thing. This world will never change until men, like you and me, are transformed into who we were created to be before the beginning of time. I don't know about you, but that gets my blood pumping!

I hope that you will put into action these five mandates. They will help you see who you are and point you to the purpose the creator called you to in the beginning.

May God bless you!

Do Everything in Love

Luke 10:27

1 Cor.16:13-14

1 Cor.13:3,13

The Lord tells us to love him so strongly, passionately, thoughtfully, and deeply for a reason, and that is, the more we know Him, the more we will naturally love Him. Being close to Him always means abiding in Him. Being in His Word daily, setting time to pray in secret places, and obeying what He has commanded us. If a man does these things, he will find that the Lord strengthens him and rejuvenates him by His Spirit. Our God gives us the fifth Mandate: to do all things in love because that will reveal and reflect Him in the world. Everything we choose not to do in love is saying, in effect, "You don't need to be seen here!" So, we ought to do all things in love. God has commanded it and the priority is loving Him with all we have!

As I think about “loving your neighbor as yourself“, a story of a loving uncle comes to mind. Upon hearing his niece's frightened cries and staring at an awful site, a fiery house, he couldn’t wait for the Fire Department. Derrick rushed into the house. Earlier, his sister had thrown two of her three children from the second floor down to him. But suddenly, she lost her balance and fell helplessly from the roof, unable to safely get her daughter down. Derrick didn’t think twice. He rushed in after his niece. He says, “Then, I got her, I took my shirt off and put it around her face so she wasn’t breathing any smoke and then I just carried her out, as fast as I could.” 

Not only did he risk his life, but he also gave her all he had—in this case,  the very shirt off his back. Derrick was seriously burned from the head down, but he said that he would do it again, even if he got burned worse or died trying.

When God says to do all things in love and love your neighbor as yourself, that means everyone from your trapped niece to an unruly co-worker! This is tough. How do we love our co-worker who is always complaining? How do we relinquish our rights to venting our anger, even during the heat of an argument? Or have the courage to rush into a fire to save a life? The answer is, you need all these mandates working in the your life. 

There is nothing more manly than a man with firm conviction, courage, and endurance who is marked by love!

Be Strong

1 Cor.16: 13-14

2 Sam.22:3-4

"Have a good day and remember, no matter what, I will always be there for you." A father said, gazing lovingly into his son's eyes. The child turned away with a smile and ran off to school. Hours later a massive earthquake devastated his sons' school. Thousands of casualties were gathered and reported as he hurried to the school grounds.

The father passed by the onlookers and stepped up to the demolished remains of the school building. He began digging. One parent shouted, "What are you doing? The building isn't secure. You're going to make it worse!" But the father was decisive and intentional, "I'm digging for my son," he said, brushing off the man's hands. 38 wearying hours after arriving at the school, the father moves a brick and hears a faint voice. "Son, is that you?" he yells. "Papa, it's me!" his son yells back through the heaps of rubble, in a muffled yet reassuring voice. The father reached his hand down and said, "Come out, son!" but his son replied, "Let the others out first! I know you'll save me." 

Later, as he held his boy, the father began to think about how selfless his son was. Why would his son stay back while other kids were saved right before his eyes? The answer lies within his boys' confident statement, "I knew you would always be there for me!" Words that his loving father would never forget.

In 1988 the Armenian earthquake killed 25,000 people. Due to a father’s strength and unshakeable determination, his son and fourteen other fortunate kids wouldn't be part of that number. Do you ever feel like a ton of bricks just fell right on top of you? How do you get out from there? Do you wait for the bricks to fall away? Or do you start digging? "Be strong" is the fourth Mandate of Manhood. Having faith and confidence in our Father, while also being there, and being strong, for those around us.

Life doesn't always go as planned, and God calls us to "Be Strong" for that reason. Being strong is more than just physical. Paul is referring to spiritual and mental strength as well. He is speaking of the grit that is required to persevere amidst the challenges of life. Always being there for family means ALWAYS being there, as the father above routinely told his son. That requires a determined and unshakeable inner strength! 

That's what we do! And of course, knowing that all strength comes from our rock, the Lord only equips us better.

Stand firm in the faith

1 Cor.16:13-14

1 Peter 3:15

What would you do if you found yourself in Nazi Germany in the late 1930s and early '40s? How about if you were staring into the eyes of a Gestapo Commander? He has come to search your house for secretly hidden Jews—the very Jews that, perhaps only moments ago, you had just hurriedly helped to squeeze into a narrow crawl space, located right under the kitchen table.

The Commander demands to be let in and informs you his men are going to search the vicinity. "Are you hiding any Jews?", he inquires skeptically. "If you are and don't tell me, your whole family and the Jews will be shot on the spot!", he casually states without blinking. Thoughts of the two little girls, their baby brother, and the widowed woman cross your mind. Now you need to answer. Hesitate too long, and the hidden-away Jews are dead; denying their occupancy puts your family in jeopardy. What do you do?

If I asked you what you believe, you would probably have a quick answer. Almost everyone can muster up that. Where I find that people have a big problem is in the follow-up question: “WHY” do you believe it?

At this point, I see a much different reaction from the person who is giving the answer. Some hesitate, while some may blush and awkwardly say, "Well, because of my mom, dad, denomination, professor, friend…" etc. Most, however, don't really know. Following the second question comes the breaking point for many. Why? Because it's hard to stand firm when you don't know what you believe; when you have just adopted someone else’s beliefs.

1 Peter 3:15 NIV says, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

Hundreds of people during the reign of Nazi Germany had to make a split-second decision. If they didn't know why they hid the Jews, it could spell out catastrophe in the moments to come.

Leadership guru and former pastor, John Maxwell, said it best: "Decisions are made easy when you know in advance what you stand for." Occurrences like this with the Gestapo aren't exaggerated stories, retold to make people look good. Nor were they written to gain the admiration of men. They were real-life situations where “average Joes” stepped up to protect the lives of thousands. Many of those who put their very lives on the line thought that the people they protected were precious, valuable, and created in the image of God! The decision to stand firm for their beliefs in these critical moments was made clear.

The same is true for you today. Staring at the Commander, what would you say? Do you know what you believe and why you believe it? If you do, don't waver in your belief. To stand firm, you MUST get into His Word. Study it! Apply it! AND LIVE IT OUT!

Take your position

Judges 7:15-25

Mathew 5;14-16

Have you ever fought a losing battle? Your team is behind 100-0 but there’s still time left on the clock. You only realized this morning that you are writing that exam, and you haven’t studied at all the entire semester. You work for a promotion, but the guy you are up against is heir to the family business, or better qualified, more experienced, or simply more likely to get it for a bunch of different and discriminating reasons. Fighting a losing battle! We’ve all been there...

But not when we belong to God. When we belong to God, the battle also belongs to God. As we see today in Israel’s case, the battle belonged to God before His people even stepped upon the field. Yet, they had to step upon the field, nonetheless.

We understand that the battle belongs to the Lord. We understand that Christ did a complete work of Salvation on the Cross. But we must also understand that our sanctification is a process. We also need to understand that we still have a role to play and a position to fill in God’s Kingdom. Even though we are ahead on the scoreboard, and we cannot (really) lose anymore, we must still partake in the game. We must still play our role if we want to be part of the winning team.

Each man among the 300 understood that God would give them victory. But each of them still had to light the torch and make some noise. And even after their enemies fled, other tribes of Israel had to join the chase as well. These men knew God would come through, but they also knew how to take their position on the battlefield.

Today we continue the topic of brotherhood and discipleship. We can only ever be part of the winning team if we understand the roles we and others play on the field. Jesus is Captain and Coach, all in one. But we must fall in behind Him, shoulder-to-shoulder with each other. His Kingdom is advancing, and we don’t want to fall behind, nor hold others back. In fact, we’d rather be in step with Him, wouldn't we?

We have three main positions to take in His ever-advancing Kingdom. 1) A Position as a disciple. 2) Our Positions as the light in the darkness. 3) And the Position as the man of our house.

1. As a disciple of Christ, you are to be a dauntless follower of our Lord and Savior. Making it a priority to stay personally connected to Him through prayer, studying God’s Word, and staying devoted to His Will in our lives through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This also means we guide others to follow in His steps as we do. Never wavering. A Dauntless Disciple!

2. Like Gideon’s 300 men, we are also to light up our torches and make some noise within the darkness of our world. We are the light of the world, making known the works of our Father (Matthew 5:14-16). A Mighty Warrior!

3. We can never stretch enough the importance of truly being the man of the house. Like the men who took their positions during the changing of the guard, we must also take our positions as men, husbands, and fathers to be watchmen over our families. Light the torch and sound the alarm to let all darkness know under whose Authority your house stands – Jesus’. If you stand under His Authority, you can also stand in His Authority over your loved ones. A Fearless Family Leader!

Read Judges 7:15-25 and Reflect on the Following

1. Which position(s) are you struggling to take in your walk with Christ?

A Dauntless Disciple; a Mighty Warrior; or a Fearless Family Leader?

2. Why is this a struggle, and how can you start stepping into that gap?

3. What do you need to pray about today?