Who doesn’t like being in control? You and I like being the master of our own destiny, the captain of our fate. We often like to be in control of things beyond our own selves…our families, our workplace, and our church. Control issues can be major points of contention in these relationships.
Recently I read through the early chapters of Genesis. I noticed some things about Abram (later known as Abraham) I hadn’t before. For example, when his nephew Lot was kidnapped, he put together an Old Testament version of a SWAT team. He led them in a successful rescue of Lot and all the people and goods taken by his captors (Genesis 14). I never thought of Abram as a warrior before.
What Abram is better known for is his trust in God. In the scripture above, he and his nephew Lot had both been blessed by the Lord with substantial wealth. They had been traveling together for sometime and the land could no longer sustain both of their enormous herds of livestock. As you read, it was leading to conflict.
Abram became a peacemaker with Lot and his people. Notice in verse 8, he was willing to defer his control over the circumstances in order to keep his relationship good with Lot. Abram permitted Lot to choose where he would go and trusted that God would bless him in whatever land was left. Sure enough, God blessed Abram and his family in the land of Canaan, the land he got as “leftovers.”
Some Greek converts to Judaism once sought Jesus out. He had this wisdom for them about being his follower:
“Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.” (John 12:25-26, NRSV)
Jesus calls us to give up the white-knuckle grip of control on our lives for life-giving service to him. Trust God to take care of you. Trust Jesus to lead you to the right places. Trust the Holy Spirit to give you the gifts, skills, talents, and experiences you need to flourish. God honors those who are able to let go of control and serve. This is the path to discovering, as Abram did, the peace and blessing that comes with trusting God for the outcome.
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