Tag Archives: weary

Jesus and the Illusion of Control

Nature has a funny way of reminding us that we aren’t in control as much as we think we are. We love the idea of control. We live in a world where we can control the thermostat in our house, the lights in our house, even the ice maker in the refrigerator in our house all from our smartphone. Through social media we can control the narrative of our lives that we project to the world. Some people take great control of what they eat and put into their bodies. Some people put in guardrails so that they remain in control their time. I don’t think any of us like the feeling of being out of control- either emotionally, physically, or financially. But what happens is that we build an illusion of control and we find it shocking when that illusion comes crashing down.

Nature has a tendency to be that thing that causes our illusions of control to come crashing down. Control didn’t matter when water from Hurricane Harvey starting rising. Right now Hurricane Irma is making it’s way across the Caribbean and where the storm goes and what damage it produces is outside of our control. We have to bend to the wind, not the other way around. We have to respect the ocean, and the rivers, and the mountains, they don’t have to respect us.

Unless you’re Jesus.

On multiple occasions Jesus took control over nature. He calmed storms. He silenced winds. He walked on water. He caused the fruitless tree to wither.

Why did he do those things? I think Jesus wanted to show us that he can control the things we can’t control. Jesus can control nature. Jesus can control disease. Jesus can control limited resources- like taking five loaves of bread and two fish and feeding 10,000+ people. Jesus can even control death.

Whatever is in your life that you can’t control, Jesus can. I know that sounds trivial. Especially to people who are dealing with the aftermath of those uncontrollable things, whether natural disaster, or addiction, or anger, or a disease. But it’s those weary people that Jesus promises to give rest. We just have to seek that rest in Jesus.

We all walk with our illusions of control but what do we do when they fall? Where do we turn?  If your life is out of control, if you are weary, Jesus is in control. There is nothing that stands outside of Jesus’ control. We can rest in that.

“Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?” Luke 8:25