“You might be a control freak.”
These words were spoken to me years ago during a summer internship as a hospital chaplain. As part of the internship program, my cohort had to write theological reflections related to our interactions with patients. In one paper, I explained my belief that God is in control, a belief I consistently shared with patients while ministering to them.
My supervisor made an interesting comment about my paper. He said that people often speak about God in a way that reflects their own values. Because of my emphasis that God is in control, my supervisor suggested that I might have control issues! His comment stayed with me and caused me to wonder this: What do we mean when we say, “God is in control”? And how do we communicate that truth in a way that brings comfort?
Yes, God is in control. We need that assurance at all times, especially when life begins to unravel. Sometimes we feel out of control, and that can be distressing and disorienting. Particularly during seasons of difficult changes—times when life is shifting without our permission—we need the reassurance that our loving God is overseeing the events of our lives.
Perhaps you find yourself in a season of change right now, and things feel out of your control. Maybe your children are growing up, and you’re struggling with how to parent them in a new season. Or maybe you have aging parents, and your role is changing in ways you didn’t expect. Maybe your work is shifting with the advent of AI or modern customer needs, and you’re pressured to maintain relevance in a new marketplace. Changes like these can make us feel unsettled and lost.
When you feel out of control, remember these things about God:
It’s one thing to know that God has all things in His hands. It’s another thing to know that almighty God orchestrates the events of your life according to His love for you in Christ. He’s not a vindictive God, ready to pull the rug out from under you arbitrarily. Instead, He’s a gracious Father, whose goodness fosters trust.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
Reading further, we understand that this promise connects to our relationship with God through Jesus.
If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31–32)
His grace applies to you equally during good times and hard times. The seasons of life do not diminish His love or His ability to care for you. The Preacher of Ecclesiastes reminds us to expect changes.
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
Don’t be surprised when changes occur. Seasons and times are embedded into the nature of how the world operates—a world that God designed with great intentionality. In fact, sometimes God’s most impactful work in your life will happen during a season of transition as He leads you to greater growth and maturity.
Many times we think we have the answers. We have life scripted in our mind … if only God would follow the script! Proverbs 19:21 states this:
Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.
God has been running the universe since the beginning, much longer than you and I have been around. With infinite wisdom, He’s more qualified to plan our lives than we are. His purposes prevail, and that’s for the best.
Busy, busy, busy! We often to try work our ways through changes. If I just work harder! If I just apply myself with greater intensity! Hard work has many benefits, but so does rest. When we rest in the assurance that God is at work, we release what we can’t control and entrust our needs into God’s hands. These words have never been needed more in our society than today:
Be still, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)
When life is changing and feels out of our control, it can be challenging to trust in God. We might be tempted to trust in ourselves and our planning, but with any amount of life experience, we quickly find out than our plans don’t always work out. We need a source of greater wisdom and strength. Because of His great love for us in Jesus, we can trust God when life is shifting. His perspective is always clear, and His ways are always good.
Scripture: ESV®.