Give It Up!

I once related a story to the youth of a kid who wanted very badly to push the shopping cart when he went to the store with his mom. However, his mom never let him. She always says, "not this time, honey." or "when you're older."

Well, one day when they went to the store, he asked if he could push the cart. THIS TIME, to his joyful surprise, his mom said, "OK, sweety. You can push the cart."

He excitedly placed his hands on the handle, but his mood suddenly dropped. As he began to push the cart along the aisle, his mom (who was walking beside the cart) reached over and placed her hand on the edge of  the cart, controlling where it went.

Have you ever been there? I remember how annoyed I would get when my mom would do that to me. Or what other situations do we experience when people take back control?

"What do you want to eat?"
"I don't care. You choose."
"Ok, Chinese."
"No, I had Chinese yesterday."

"What movie do you want to see?"
"They all look good. You choose."
"Ok, let's see '_____'."
"I'm not in the mood for a comedy."

Often these scenarios are fodder for stand up comics and frustrated spouses. It can be exceedingly frustrating to be given control by someone, only to have it taken back again.

But have you ever stopped to consider that we do that to God? To The Lord.

Think of that name .... "LORD!" Ruler. King. Authority. A lord is a person who rules, who has control. They make the decisions, because they are in charge.

Part of putting your faith in Christ is realizing and accepting that He is Lord. Jesus is God (John 1:1). He created everything (John 1:3). That means you, the world, the universe, and whatever plan or purpose your life has, He knows about it. Whatever is best for you.... He knows it. All authority is His (Matthew 28:18).

We repent of our sins because we see the kindness He gives us in the cross of Christ (Romans 2:4). We realize that we have been in rebellion to the one who should be in control in the first place.

So then why do we, who have realized this, turn around and try to take that control back? We make exceptions. Jesus says to love our neighbors, and we do ... but that one guy is so rude. He doesn't deserve it. Recall that Jesus also said we should seek to serve others (Matthew 23:11), but that lady at work. The things she says about me to everyone else, why give her the satisfaction? Hate is the same as murder (1 John 3:15), yet we find excuses to hold on to that bitter grudge.

Quit trying to guide the cart. Give it up and give God control. It is not yours to control. Your old life of rebellion and selfish control was ended. Now the life you live is lived for Him.

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)