There is no greater mystery than the God of our universe. All the different aspects and intricacies of such a being are far too complex for our feeble minds to fully understand, and to be honest, that’s the way it should be. For God wouldn’t be much of a god if we could fully comprehend Him!
As complex as God is, however, He really has made our lives pretty simple. The Bible tell us that we shouldn’t worry about things we can’t understand or control…
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”–Matthew 6: 25-27
God is in control of the things we can’t control. He controls who comes into our lives, who goes out of our lives, what opportunities come our way, and what ones leave us disappointed. God knows what we need and promises to provide us with those things.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”–Romans 8: 28
Despite these truths, I continue finding myself trying to control things I can’t control. Kind of like this wizardry fellow…
Lately, I’ve been dwelling on trying to control what people think of me, how people act around me, and have been trying to force things to happen that aren’t meant to be.
I have overcomplicated my life and have been trying to play God’s role instead of following the simple instructions He has given me…
“One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”–Matthew 22: 35-40
The great, complex, mysterious God of the universe has made our lives very simple! All we need to do to achieve His will for us is to follow these two simple commands:
1) Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.
2) Love your neighbor as yourself.
These are two things we CAN and are EXPECTED to control! If we do these things to the best of our abilities, we’ll achieve all God has for us and will do it without all the stress that comes with trying to do everything ourselves.
There is peace in not trying to control everything. There is peace in knowing that an all-loving, all-powerful God is in control of everything. And there is peace in releasing that control to Him.
For God has a plan for us that is far greater and far better than anything we can come up with on our own–we just have to believe it!
My prayer is that I will believe that more and try to control things less. And instead of dwelling on what has or hasn’t happened for me yet, focus on what I am in control of: loving God and loving others.
Could it be any more simple?
-BH
Brady Hammond 