Its not in our control

 I have often been amazed how much I can delude myself into thinking that I am in control of things that I have absolutely zero control over.  I have made just a short list:

    I am not in control of how other people respond to me.

    I am not in control of what other people think and feel.

    I am not in control of what happens on any given day.

    I am not in control of what my circumstances are or will be.

    I am not in control of what trials God chooses to send my way.

    I am not in control of what blessings God chooses to send my way.

    I am not in control over the choices of others.

And the list could go on.  I find it is helpful to remind myself of these things because if I do not it might affect how I think and feel about any of these items.  But realistically I have no control over them and so I should not stress about avoiding, preventing or causing any of them.  But I do have some semblance of control over how I respond to these things.  In fact, God calls me to respond in particular ways to these events and I am responsible to follow His will for me as I engage this world - even if I do not have as much control as I think I do.

A brief comment on love

 This Friday is Valentine's Day.  I do not know if you celebrate this particular day, but it is a day when the thoughts of most people go to love.  I think that in some respects, no one ever grows out of the phase of life where we share little candy heart messages that are supposed to express our "feelings" toward each other.  At the end of the day the whole idea of love that our culture preaches to us is a message that begins and ends with the self.  I am supposed to love myself, make sure that those I love love me in return.  It is all about me and what makes me happy.  

This is not the biblical picture of what love is.  A biblical love is not self focused, but focused upward and outward.  First love is to be directed upward to God.  Then it is to be directed outward toward others.  And only when you do those things properly will you find true joy.  

So the challenge this time of year is to focus our loves rightly.  To direct our feelings into action upward and outward!