If someone assigned you the task of resolving a situation in a state of chaos among a group of people, the first question you would ask, “Who’s in charge”. Of course, the answers might vary— “I don’t know” or maybe, “He is”, “no she is” or, “no that group is”. In several demonstrations this past year, reporters randomly asked participants why they were there and who was in charge. The majority responded they didn’t know. Paul encountered protest against him on more than one occasion that illustrated this kind of confusion. Some were shouting one thing and some another, for the assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together (Act 19:32). Hopefully, you aren’t in a state of chaos but as we enter a new year, we all should ask ourselves, “Who or what’s in charge of my life?” You might be quick to answer, “I am”, however, let’s look at some subtle sources that can affect how we conduct our life.
In November, God: The Original Engineer, addressed the subject concerning others controlling your life. But what about influences within us? We can categorize most under these headings—sin nature, emotions, circumstances, or Holy Spirit. John gives three aspects of the sin nature Satan uses to entrap people. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life (1Jn 2:16). These were from the beginning. When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, [the lust of the flesh] and that it was a delight to the eyes, [the lust of the eyes] and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, [the pride of life] she took from its fruit and ate (Gen 3:6).
Jesus faced the same enticements. He became hungry. And the devil said to Him . . . “tell this stone to become bread” [lust of the flesh] (Lk 4:2, 3). The devil led Him up and . . . showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time . . . and said, “I will give You all this . . . if You worship before me” [lust of eyes] (Lk 4:5-7). Then he led Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here—prove yourself [pride of life] (v9). Jesus said no to all of these temptations. You find this pattern throughout the Bible. For Christians, we are no longer in bondage to sin. Yes, we will be tempted and can sin, but Christ set us free and like Jesus, we can say “no”. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power over our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin (Rom 6:6 NLT). Paul further tells us reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (v11 NKJV). Reckon is from an accounting term meaning, add this credit to your account book. Daily, we should remind ourselves we are dead to sin, and it has no control over us.
I cringe when I hear people, especially preachers say, “We all have one thing in common, we are sinners and we’ll struggle every day.” Note what God says about us: you have been set free from the law of sin and death (Ro 8:2); He calls me a saint (1 Corin 1:2 Eph 1:1, Phil 1:1, Col 1:2.); He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2Co 5:2); you are chosen, holy, and blameless before God (Eph 1:4); this is only a few declarations about who we are. If you tell yourselves every day that you are a sinner and will sin, then that’s what you will probably do. However, if we remind ourselves Jesus rendered sin powerless and we are free to choose to live above sin, even when tempted we don’t have to struggle. We are dead to sin and alive to Christ. The sin nature does not have to be in charge of our life.
Even more subtle are two less noted sources—emotions and circumstances. Emotions are an integral part of human makeup. God created us in His image, He has emotions, so we have emotions. Every person differs with some displaying intense outward emotions and others showing little visible feelings. The danger comes when people have no self-control and emotions rule their life. Believers include spiritual adrenaline junkies and those who fear emotions to the point they make themselves devoid of any outward expression of feeling. I’ve ministered in churches that range from wild uncontrolled emotions to those so emotionless you could hear a mouse walking. Many I know don’t think God is present until they experience an emotional high. Yet, I know those who believe any level of emotions in church is sinful. The key is self-control and balance.
We all go through good, wonderful, bad, and tragic circumstances. Some people chase after pleasant situations nonstop until it rules their life. No one can escape bad times. But debt, family trouble, floods, fires, etc. should never take charge of us. Believers can make it through any situation if they allow the Holy Spirit to be in charge. He won’t eliminate all the bad or tragic events, but He walks with us giving us what we need to make it through. Even when I must walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me (Ps 23:4 NET).
Sustaining Word for the Week: Who or what will be in charge of your life in the coming year?