This is #6 in the mini-series:
Uh, I don’t think so.
Highlighting misunderstandings that have robbed me of contentment.
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Of all the misconceptions we’ve looked at: ‘Blind faith”, Prayer, the Holy Spirit, Sabbath, this idea of God being in control has the most potential for impact on contentment.
God’s sovereignty can get into really hard territory:
So God willingly allows evil?
If God knows what’s going to happen, why pray?
If God controls what’s going to happen, why bother with anything?
For one thing, ‘control’ is a narrow, and not complete concept when we talk about sovereignty. God’s sovereignty. If we lived under monarchs, I think this would be easier to understand. Kings and Queens are even called ‘/Sovereigns/’ and perhaps it’s easier to see their ‘control’ is also ‘authority’ and ‘right-to-rule’ and ‘knowledge’ and more. However, it’s the well meaning ‘/don’t worry, God is in control/’ kinds of phrases that can often sit so poorly.
What do we believe about God being in control?
Over my life, and I know I’m not alone here, my understanding of God’s sovereignty has gone something like this:
God is in control, and I’m not sure what that means.
God is in control….but evil would be a sign he doesn’t care!
God is in control – but lets some things slip by,(?)
God is in control, but allows evil for our own good – somehow
Not sure God is actually in control
“God is in control” somehow – but not really “controlling”
God is in control – and I’m not sure I fully understand what that means – but I’m quite sure I believe it.
Look – I’m no brilliant theologian – I’m not even a weak theologian. I’m not capable of clearly articulating the interplay of human agency / free will and God’s sovereignty. I’m not able some days to even understand it myself.
But here’s where I’ve landed:
God is in control.
God is good
Often those two feel like they can’t be true at the same time…but I believe with all my heart that they are.
So while the idea of ‘blind’ faith – where we just turn off our minds is not what God is calling us to ….
There is also a time when we have to accept things we don’t understand.
If we understood God, and could figure Him out – then He’d be no bigger than us, no grander, no more powerful, no more complex, no more intelligent…
So either we accept that there are aspects of this world, and its creator that we will not understand in this life – or we settle for a god made in our own image.
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Do yourself a favor and listen to this song…..May your struggles keep you near the cross.
May your troubles show that you need God.
And May your battles end the way they should.
And May your bad days prove that GOD is good.
May your whole life prove that GOD is good
Like I said, I’m no theologian, so here are just two links to some thoughts that may be helpful to understand:
10 Key Bible Verses on God’s Sovereignty
Plunge your mind into the ocean of God’s
PRAY THIS
God I believe you are in control,
help my unbelief.
God I believe you are good
help my unbelief.
Amen
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