Observations on who is in control (last updated: 19th December 2022)
We will examine a number of related myths in this complex area.
(1) Human beings are in control of events and do not need help from God or any other agent.
(2) God either does not exist, or if He does, He doesn't take any active part in the running of our lives.
(3) God plays no part in any of the events occuring minute by minute across the Globe.
What does Deuteronomy 31:8 say?
'The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.'
Observations and viewpoints:
The issue of who is in control is one of several stumbling blocks causing people to denounce God? Others relate to moral issues, egos, prejudices, etc.
If God exists and I hand control of my life to Him where will that lead me?
I want to make my own decisions because I know what is best for me, and any intervention by any other agent, especially God assuming He exists, will diminish the quality of my life, and destroy my confidence in who I am.
I do not wish to be told what to do and when to do it, what to say, or think!
If I relinquish control of my life to a third party what is left for me to do, and what will other people think of me?
The Bible states that God gave us free will to choose the course of our life suggesting He will not intervene even when the going gets tough.
There are many sentiments that can be expressed in this area, but how to address them, and allay fears, is far from straight forward! The following article from Newspring Church South Carolina might be helpful:
God works for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28)
Two vital questions in life are,
(a) is there an ultimate controller of events, a higher authority?
(b) how did life originate on the planet?
and are they linked in any way?
If God did indeed create life would He not want to exert some influence, or control, over how His created kinds, in particular human beings, behaved thereafter, and their attitude towards Him? Surely He would have designed our bodies in such a way that we would want to defer to Him, the ultimate Authority, or at least be aware of His presence?
Further question:
Is there any evidence that there is a controlling force influencing events taking place around us?
If the answer is, yes, and God is the agent in question we can be certain that any such action on His part would be designed to be difficult to discern! The reason for this is obvious. If such interventions were readibly discernable there would be a great surge of people seeking to gain influence and power over others through forming the closest possible relationship with Him. Almighty God would not submit to such pressure as His nature does not allow Him to indulge in nepotism or favouritism. Because of the wickedness of mankind the only way for Him to operate is by stealth. His intellect far exceeds our own so we can never be completely certain what part, if any, He has played in any of life's journeys.
Conclusion:
There are more questions than answers in this difficult area, and we only proclaim as fact what is proven beyond all reasonable doubt (Created Kinds, for example). We therefore leave it to the reader to form his/her own opinion as to whether God is actively involved in his/her life.
In Matthew 10:32-33, Jesus declares, “Everyone who acknowledges Me before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies Me before men, I also will deny before My Father who is in heaven.”
Free will, giving individuals control over their lives, became manifest after the fall in the Garden of Eden:
Genesis 3:5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
We suggest that God only becomes involved in the lives of individuals who acknowledge who He is, our Great and Glorious Creator.
He is not intent on controlling us as evidenced by the fact that we are free to accept or reject His guiding hand on every occasion.
In conclusion He is in control of the life of an individual to the extent to which He is welcomed in, and one thing we can say with certainty is that all interventions are designed with the sole purpose of benefitting the individual and/or those around him/her. The extent to which He is in control of the World's issues remains a mystery, but according to Revelations this will not for ever be the case.
John 14:16-17
I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
John 16:7
But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.
Luke 11:13 - If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?
God works for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28)