Our three-year-old still insists on sleeping in our bed, and although we have tried to deter him, he always ends up between us.  Because he is the youngest and last of our children (Lord willing) we let him.  We know that one day there won’t be any little ones in our bed, so we treasure these moments (between the flopping and flailing) while we can.  The song “You’re Gonna Miss This” comes to mind.  Early one morning there was a big storm with thunder that made him latch on to me.  I reassured him it was okay, then lightning struck close, and the thunder made him shake from fear.  I calmed him down, the storm passed, and he went back to sleep.  But as I lay there listening to the wind and rain, praying for safety, I thought: “I could pray ‘Lord, please protect my family, this house, our animals, and the garden’ and then one big tornado could still wipe everything out in an instant.”  It’s true.  In one short instant I could find myself like Job, and that would be as it were, the will of God.  There’s nothing like a big storm, an earthquake, or some natural disaster to remind us we are NOT in control.  Control over anything outside of our own will is a mirage.

A mirage is an illusion outside yourself that you see, and are convinced is real, but it is not.  Yes, we can and often do think that we are in control of many things, but control that is not absolute or complete is not control, it is management.  Take for example even your own body: you can eat healthy and force it into submission until you’re at peak performance level; you can train hard for months, even years, for some event or competition, then one injury can change it all.      

There’s an Arabic phrase I learned in 2007 when preparing for deployment to Iraq, and that is “Inshallah” or “In sha’ Allah”, which is translated “If God wills” or “God willing”.  I didn’t know at the time how repeatedly I would hear those words, because Iraqis have such great fear of Allah.  If they talked about anything they were going to do, they would begin or end by saying it.  In fact, this saying became so familiar that Marines even started saying “Inshallah” about various things.  If I’m being honest, the zeal of the Muslim faith was so overt (not always in a good way) that it made me ashamed of my own personal faith at the time.  I assure you I am not promoting Islam, as I have felt a similar sense of shame while observing the intense Mormon work ethic or the persistence of Jehovah’s Witnesses.  This makes me wonder, “Why aren’t we Christians that intentional?”  Why don’t we work that hard for the Lord?  Why aren’t we as zealous for our faith as Muslims?  Think about it: When was the last time you hid inside your own house because of the relentless Christians walking up your sidewalk to tell you about Jesus?  Going door to door was a thing Christians often did, but not so much anymore.  Theologically I understand why they seem to work so much harder than us, but there was a time when Christians took their faith and call to service more seriously. 

My great-grandfather went from being a successful butcher in Corsicana, Texas, to being a full-time poor preacher until the day he died because God called him, and he trusted God to provide.  My grandfather ran a lucrative furniture store after WWII, but became a full-time poor preacher because God called him, and he trusted God to provide.  My parents barely scraped by for much of their lives because God called Dad, and he trusted God to provide.  I am living proof that indeed He did provide.  Stories like these were a dime a dozen in the not-too-distant past…humble men of God, who gave up their livelihoods or potential for worldly gain, all for the opportunity to go and preach the gospel. 

Somewhere along the way, it seems we decided we wanted control of “our lives”.   Now, most would never admit it, they would just point to material wealth as evidence of God’s favor. These are probably the same who will be mad at me for this blog. Somewhere along the way, we concluded that we knew better than God what was best for us, and for many that resulted in: a fat bank account, a 401k, a 3,000+ square foot house (or houses), ONLY 2.5 kids, the newest truck or car, the best boat, camper, or UTV, the latest iPhone, etc.  In a recorded interview, I heard one of the richest men in America (a multi-billionaire) say about his wealth “Now I know that my kids will be taken care of.”  I’m thinking, “How many kids you got bro?”  How much is enough?  Meanwhile, us lowly peasants have settled for lesser things like an Android and a smart TV, which oddly enough we still allow to suck years from our lives.  That said, in the end the promotions, money, houses, lands, and things will only leave us hollow and empty.  But hey, “God is still in control” right?  Is He though?  Certainly, He is still sovereign, but is He in control of you?  Of me?  Mull that over.

Collectively – GENERALLY speaking – what we have done is CLUNG to the one thing God has given us – our will – and used it to enrich ourselves, while Jesus’ commands take a backseat, and the world outside goes to hell in a handbasket.  What’s worse, we don’t even seem to care. This mirrors a failure of leadership – of “do as I say, not as I do” preachers – who have not led by example, nor obeyed the Great Commission themselves, but who lull congregants to sleep, tickling their ears with milk-toast sermons to maintain status quo and keep the peace.  But to be fair, many of these pastors are overwhelmed because a majority of gospel-hardened church members think Jesus’ commands only apply to him, while their job is to sit, listen, donate, and sign his paycheck…and so the cycle continues.  Okay, enough high-horse preaching.  

Here is the point: IF God is sovereign, and IF the only thing He has entrusted to us for temporary stewardship is our will, then it follows that we ought to surrender our will back to Him, yielding fully to His divine authority.  If we have truly encountered this sovereign God, then there is nothing else we can do but place 100% of ourselves – our everything – into His hands.  When we surrender complete control to Him and His purpose (not just on Sunday), we may not have as much as others, but we WILL have peace and security that cannot be found anywhere – or in anything – else.

And then one day, if God allows a tornado to take what little you have away, you will not have lost everything.  Like Job, you will still possess the only thing that truly mattered in the first place – complete trust in a sovereign God.  Then you will be able to say as Job did, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him” (Job 13:15 NKJV). May this be true of us all.