Who’s In Control

On my way to get my haircut, I found myself stuck in a group of cars. You have been there; roughly eight to ten cars grouped together, all driving the same speed and moving as one. It reminded me of a pack of wild dogs. Well, maybe not. How about a pack of sheep? There, that’s a better fit – sheep. Anyway, back to the story.

When one sped up, the others sped up. When one moved to the right, the others moved to the right. The appeared to have rehearsed! I could not tell who was leading this pack of conformists, but I knew I had to break free. Besides, I have somewhere to be and this is not helping me get there.

In an attempt to separate myself from this unwanted grouping, I noticed my car drifting toward the middle of the road. My eyes peering ahead, looking for a crease just big enough for me to squeeze through. And just when I thought I could pull off the great escape; the car in front of me notices, slows down, and crowds the middle of the road. It was like the driver was saying, “Oh no, you can’t escape; we have you our precious.” Well, maybe not that extreme. But it sure felt like it!

Finally, after what felt like hours, I was able to break free the pack. When I got to my destination, I had some time to reflect on what had happened. Why did this bother me so much? Why was I in such a hurry?

The more I thought about it, one conclusion kept popping up. I had no control. I was not able to move as I wanted because someone else was slowing me down; preventing me from moving freely. Now I am not a control freak, but I will admit that I do like having the freedom to move freely. I don’t like the feeling of being boxed in.

I am afraid that when it comes to being a follower of Christ, I have more than once had this same reaction. This reaction of feeling boxed in, wanting to live my life my way and not wanting to submit myself to someone else’s direction.

As a follower, Christ is my leader. He is my master. When I said “Yes” to Christ, I forfeited the rights to lead my life my way. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says “19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

So next time you find yourself straining for control, longing to be able to make a bigger impact on your surroundings. Remind yourself that you are not in control, you gave up that right. Life will go smoother when you allow Christ to play the role that He is more than capable of playing in your life, the director.