(I know at least one person who will know what movie I have stolen the title of this post from)
We all move through life on earth with seemingly different objectives. Everyone has different goals and timetables. Everyone is also equipped with a different set of abilities and/or gifts.
So it would appear that we are all.....different.
Upon close examination, I am realizing that we are all using largely the same device(s) to get us to our varied destinations.
Control.
Everybody wants it. Everybody is in search of it.
We want control over our future. We want control over our appearance. We seek control over our health. We want to control what others think about us. We want to control how much money we have. We desire control over where we live. We want to control our children. We would like to control our enemies or those we dislike.
If you took a look at those few examples as they pertain to your daily life, how much energy to you exert each day in a desperate reach for control? In the end, how successful are your efforts? Meanwhile, how many virtuous tasks go ignored while we claw away at control?
I don't think control is largely attainable as it exists between any two people. Sure, you may be able to wield sufficient leverage in any given situation to effect a change in someones behavior. Is that control? Have you effected any real or lasting change in that person's life, or in their mind? Or, have you merely adjusted the way they act, while you see them in front of you?
Perhaps the greater peace can be had in the surrender of this fruitless pursuit. Give up the desire to influence all the factors that you have become convinced impact your life on a regular basis. There are certain laws that govern the world we all live in. Fight all you want, earn all the money you can, rise to the top of the pile, win the rat race.....these laws will remain unchanged.
Billionaires are a dime a dozen nowadays, and they come and go. Even in recent American history, people have limitless riches on Monday, only to be unemployed by Wednesday. Such people could not maintain control.
Nations that were far richer then the U.S. have failed a dozen times over. Control slipped away from them as well.
A short while ago, when I wrote an earlier post, I was searching for control. The peace I finally found, came in letting go. My faith in things that I could not see, or cash in on, was rewarded in short order. Call it fate, karma, luck or providence. Your choice of words doesn't matter.
I believe that I was was dealt with favorably because I made a decision to lose control, to give it up. I believe doing so often puts us in good standing with the unchangeable laws that govern the world we live in.
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14 comments:
Excellent post. I do take exception with your conclusion in the last couple sentences but since that wasn't the point of your post (or was it?) I'll leave it at that.
Also, kudos on correctly using 'effected'.
Ryan,
Yeah, Like I could ever leave a remark like yours alone.
Mind you, as we talked about, I don't necessarily have a good explanation for what I experienced.
If you were me, would you call it a coincidence?
Your choice of words and my choice of words DOES MATTER!
I do not believe in luck or coincidence or karma or fate.
I BELIEVE in Providence with a capital P!
To God alone be the glory!
Sorry for the anonymity!!
The previous post was from me!
(He took the bait!)
No, Shamus, I would not call it mere coincidence. I'm not sure I can articulate what I'm thinking but I won't let that stop me from trying.
Here's the deal: you did A and then B happened. You said “I believe that [B] because I made a decision to [A]”. But why do you think that? What does it mean?
1) Do all people that [A] get [B]?
2) Can we say that all people without [B] haven't [A]?
3) Do all people that refuse to [A] never get [B]?
4) Can we say that all people with [B] have [A]?
If we can't answer “yes” to these questions then what is the point of asserting or even implying that [B] came from [A]?
I wanted to comment but then I started reading Ryan's posts and I can't remember what I was going to say. I may be out of my league on this one. :o)
I have to disagree with the last two sentences, as well. I think that giving up control often allows us to experience life more favorably, but I don't think it cultivates favor with the One who ultimately controls our destiny. I can think of many a martyr who gave up trying to control their own destiny only to be brutally murdered.
Of course, this brings up a bigger question of what it means to be 'dealt with favorably'. In this life, or in eternity?
Jeannine,
Specific to the example of martyrdom, were not such people rewarded for their act of faith, even in "death"?...or, especially in death?
Absolutely yes! I think the dangerous place is when people think (and many Christians do) that if they surrender control to God, they will recieve nothing but blessing and favor in this life. The so-called 'Prosperity Gospel'. However, if we're talking about being 'dealt with favorably' in an eternal sense, then I completely agree!
I'm picturing Tommy saying...."I agree with everybody"
We need to soon plan our dinner night out!!
There is so much unknown about life and the way things work together. To assume that the cause (A) brought about the effect (B) with all certainty is arrogance on our behalf. But to ignore the effect (B) completely and not relate it's link to the cause (A) is to close your eyes to the possibility of something greater than you or I. There are too many coincidences to dismiss the idea that there is a "force", "power", God that governs the world we live in. I would be cautious to swear that (A) caused (B), but I would not deny it, and I would not guarantee it, because (A) may cause (C) for you. Too many coincidences, too many random unexplainable moments in my life cause me to believe and trust in God. But I do not assume that I can manipulate His principles to create a controlled life for myself.
Matt made my point more elegantly and completely than I did. There is a lot of encouragement in these anecdotes but there is too a lot of danger. Often when these stories are shared I think that a lot of our audience reasonably infers that the answers to the four questions are "yes". And when somebody in that audience does A and doesn't get B they will be inclined to reject this god.
Beyond all of that is the topic of free will. Shamus, your B involved a lot of other individuals each with the free will to do good or to do evil. To say that B necessarily follows A is to deny these individuals' opportunity to go against God's guidance. However (and maybe I'm turning a corner here) to deny God's hand in the outcome B or to ignore the impact of your obedience in A is equally foolish.
I agree with everybody! Actually mostly with Kris...I'm out of my league... :0) Except that I know what movie you took the title from! Now I have to concentraaaaaaate (that's for you Sha) if I want to write something meaningful. Great discussion everyone. Some good food for thought.
Ryan,
Maybe Sha gets kudos for "effected" but not for "someone's" or the repetitive use of "was" in the second to last sentence.
This is what I can contribute to this conversation! I'm with Kris and Tom on this one.
Oh, and kudos to you, Ryan, for a profound retort. I have to read it a third time.
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