“The Lord, the God of heaven and earth, is taking care of the entire universe because he is the only one truly in control. . . . God is intimately involved in our lives. He is aware and never caught off guard by anything we face.”- Joel Muddamalle
“From one man he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. He did this so that they might seek God and perhaps might reach out and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.”- Acts 17:26-27 (Christian Standard Bible)
In Chapter 3 (“I Can’t Keep It All Together: Human Control”) of The Hidden Peace, Joel Muddamalle stresses what happens after hours of obsessing over what you cannot control. In a way, you feel even more out of control. Certainly, lacking control creates feelings of unsettledness.
Consequently, Joel observes, we believe if we just gain a little more control, that gain frees us from the fear of someone pulling the rug out from under us. And we’d feel safer. So, from this perspective, we view control as the missing piece of stability and peace we long for.
Therefore, Joel responds and counsels:
“Not quite. Gaining and wielding human control in order to establish stability is an alluring promise — but an empty one. Though it might seem like we can reach it and it will work, we’ll eventually see it’s a deceitful illusion. Everything we thought we were in control of was actually out of control. . . . And when I try to gain control, it’s like I’m attempting to break down a concrete wall with my own brute force.”
In conclusion, Joel states, when we come face-to-face with this reality, two options present themselves:
- freak out — think the whole world is falling apart. Above all, there’s nothing we can do about it.
- exercise faith — take a deep breath. Remind yourself that your lack of control reveals tone One in control. The God who created all things.
Today’s question: What does it mean to you that God’s taking care of the entire universe? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “A humbling experience: feeling lost”