The secret is out. Americans love to take control. No, we have a deep, deep need for control, don’t we? We need to control this, control that. We need to control our schedule. We need to control how the app icons line up on our phone screens. And if we are honest, we need to control what others think of us. We need to take control over everything and anything that happens in our lives. We stress when we don’t. It doesn’t take much for us to feel irritated, unbalanced, and overwhelmed when we don’t have control.
We like to think we are in control over every part of our lives. No, we like to think it is our duty to do so. That is, until one day, something like the coronavirus hits our planet. And just like that, we find out we are no longer in control of our lives. In this Shelter in Place order, no one is in control. Those infected with the coronavirus do not have control because we still don’t know very much about the coronavirus, much less what to do about it. Those of us not infected by the coronavirus don’t have control either. Our jobs are not secure. Our children or grandchildren cannot celebrate a birthday or a graduation with their friends. We cannot go out for dinner on our anniversary. We cannot control what we watch on television but reruns after reruns. In the twinkling of an eye, we are in control of our lives no longer.
In life, there are two columns. There is a column for the things that are under our control. Then there is another column for the things that are out of our control. It is easy for us to know which things we are to put under which column. Or shall I say, it should be easy for us to know so. But surprisingly, it is not. Knowing which things should go under which column is not as easy as we think. Sometimes we confuse between the two, and stress unnecessarily. As expert controllers, we take what is out of our control and place it under the column for things that are under our control. We work at it as if it is up to us, and we get nowhere. We get no sleep at night. Meanwhile, God did not mean for us to take control of it. All this time he was only expecting for us to pray to him and trust him.
The wise of the past were wise because they got it right. They placed the correct things under the correct columns. Know which is which. Know which things are under your control, and which things are out of your control. This is wisdom. Let’s learn this together. My oldest daughter and soon to be son-in-law had to learn which things were and which things were not under their control when their June wedding was suddenly cancelled. My wife and I are having to learn which things are and which things are not under our control as we transition our family to Washington.
It takes great wisdom for a man to know which things are under his control, and which things are out of his control. If you don’t know which goes under which column, pray to God and ask him. He has the correct answer.