Who (or what) is in Charge?

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How do you decide what to do in different situations? What do you draw upon to make decisions?

Why do you react as you do? After you do something, do you go back and think “why did I do that?”

Which of the following do you use:

  • It feels right
  • Your instinct
  • Look at options and consider the best
  • Follow the law
  • To avoid punishment or pain
  • Whatever your boss tells you
  • What your parents did
  • What a role model did
  • Whatever comes natural
  • What you like or prefer
  • What you did last time
  • “Just do it!”
  • Others?

How are you doing? What have been the results or consequences of your decisions and how you have reacted?

Do you stop and think “I should make different decisions and/or react differently because what I have done is not working out so well.” How does one even start that process?

The Creator of the Universe (God) has gone to great lengths to make available the most unique book to teach us about Him and also how to live during our short time on earth.

Psalm 119:105 (NIV) says “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Do you ever feel like you are in the dark and can’t see where you are going (I do!). God’s word can shine a light to guide us.

Psalm 1:1-6 (NIV) says “1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. 4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”

Are you living a blessed life? Do you realize how valuable it is to read the Bible and follow the guide God has given us for life? Is your “delight in the law of the Lord?”

We have the choice to follow our own ways or follow God’s ways – we can’t do both.

Matthew 6:24 (NIV) is talking specifically about money when it says “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” but it clearly makes the point only one can be in charge.

If we want to begin to change (changing is difficult and even wanting to change can be very difficult), how do we do that?

Romans 12:2 (NIV) says “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” By reading the Bible, studying and applying it, we can begin this process. Spending time in prayer to seek God’s help and also spending time with friends who also want to follow God can move us forward in this process of change – we don’t often do well by ourselves.

This process takes discipline. When I think of discipline, I think of Tom Landry (former, very successful coach of the Dallas Cowboys) who said ““Coaching is making men do what they don’t want, so they can become what they want to be.” Change is not easy and it requires us to make decisions and react differently so we can have better results. It takes us back to the title of this blog – “Who (or what) is in charge?”

If we follow the Bible, what will that look like? How will that be different from what we have been doing now?

What the Bible teaches is not intuitively obvious all the time and is most of the time not what comes natural but what the all wise, all powerful, loving Creator and Savior has given us to follow even or especially when it doesn’t make sense.

Here are some examples:

  • Not Following Our Own Way: Luke 9:23-25 (NIV) 23 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?
  • Forgiveness: Colossians 3:13 (NIV) 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
  • Not Being Proud: Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV) 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
  • Worry: Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
  • Loving Your Wife: Ephesians 5:25-28 (NIV) 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
  • Wives Submitting to Husbands: Ephesians 5:22-23 (NIV) 22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
  • Importance of Earth vs Heaven: Colossians 3:2 (NIV) 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
  • Value of Material Possessions: Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV) 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
  • Obey the government (Unless it conflicts with God’s laws – Acts 5:29): Romans 13:1-5 (NIV) 1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4 For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.
  • Many more…

Jesus said in Matthew 16:24 (NIV) 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. He also said in John 14:15 (NIV) 15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. Following Jesus and obeying His commands mean we don’t do what we want to do but do what he tells us to do in His Word. We will follow/obey if He is truly our Lord and Savior. We will have the best life if we do this as he told us in John 10:10 (NIV) “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

If you had to say a few words to introduce yourself to someone you didn’t know, how would you describe yourself? Paul set a great example for us. He started off Romans, Philippians, and Titus by introducing himself as a servant of Jesus or God. As we look at Paul’s life, he was truly a servant which means he clearly knew who was in charge. In 1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV), he said “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

Life is difficult and always will be. As we react and make decisions, we can decide whether we want to follow our way or God’s way. Which do you think is best – the way of a fallen, emotional, sinful human or the loving, all-wise Creator of the universe? Think about that and how He loves you and wants to help you by His Word, through Prayer, through loving/caring friends and also through difficult times ( sadly, often the only way He gets my attention). I know that His way is best but I don’t always behave according to my knowledge. I am continuing to be transformed and you can als0.

I’ll close this out with a great hymn which I use to remind myself of the best way to live:

I Surrender All

All to Jesus I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

Refrain:
I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power;
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Now I feel the sacred flame.
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His Name!