Here, God....let me help You! (People Who Control)

If you feel you must push, pull and prod people and circumstances into the order which best suits you and makes you feel satisfied, you might have a control issue. There may even be times when you have the authority to move people and things around to your liking, but that doesn’t mean you have the God-given right to do so. A constant desire to control people and circumstances is likely a sign that you are operating with a worldly mindset as opposed to a Kingdom mindset.

This is a concept that Jesus tried to get into the minds and hearts of His disciples. When they asked Jesus if He was going to restore the Kingdom of Israel and release them from Roman rule, Jesus replied “you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit is come upon you and you shall be my witnesses” (Acts 1:6-8). Jesus was telling them not to worry about the authority of the earthly realm because the power to change every circumstance, our own hearts and the hearts of others lies within the realm and power of God’s Kingdom. Giving Israel power to rule herself again would do nothing to change her heart and bring her to God – that would simply give her worldly authority. And so it is with us; being able to control the world around us does nothing to change our hearts and provide a witness of the glory and power of God to the world around us. It’s the character and power of God that brings about His changes and will – He simply needs a yielded vessel.

Peter received a reprimand from Jesus when he tried to control the outcome of events in the Garden of Gethsemane. In an effort to protect and free Jesus, he cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. Peter took control of the situation; he set things in order, He rescued Jesus! But Jesus told Peter to put the sword away; God could send thousands of angels to free Him if He asked. But God’s will was not for Jesus to be free at that moment, and when Peter tried to control the situation he was actually working against the will of God (Matt 26). 

In trying to control people and circumstances, we too may find ourselves fighting against the will of God. Such was the case with the woman whose husband attended church with her for the first time. As they walked into the church the woman saw 2 empty seats, but those were next to the woman who prayed throughout the entire service. Oh NO!!! If her husband sat next to this woman he’d never come back! She desperately looked for a couple of folding chairs to set in the back of the church, but her husband pointed to the two empty spots, taking a seat next to the praying woman. As the service progressed her husband broke down in tears, accepted the Lord and became a believer. The prayers of the praying woman convicted him; he sensed the presence of the Holy Spirit. 

Our ways may not be God’s ways, and forcing our control and will into situations and onto people may even negate the prayers we've prayed; this is what nearly happened to the woman who's husband attended church with her. There are even groups of people today who want to help God bring His prophecies to pass - they give them a little extra nudge here and there to help them come to pass.

Letting go of control means we have to stop worrying about the way things look to other people and stop trying to set things up for God so He can move within our boundaries and make us happy! We might even have to suffer some embarrassment or go through a process of being humbled. But God knows what He’s doing, and unless He directs us to take control, it’s best to wait and trust; He is able to move all things into place so that His will is done. He’ll let us know if He needs help.