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You are here: Home / Articles / God is in Control – Yes, But DO Something!

God is in Control – Yes, But DO Something!

April 14, 2023 by J.S. Park Articles, Devotions

God is in Control - Yes, But DO Something!
When somebody tells me, “Don’t worry, God is in control,” too often that’s an excuse to be passive. What does that phrase really mean?

When somebody tells me, “Don’t worry, God is in control,” too often that’s an excuse to be passive. When I hear “God will provide,” that sounds like, “I don’t want to help.” When I hear, “That’s God’s Will,” it seems to mean, “Better that guy than me.”

While these statements can be helpful truths, they can be said too quickly, and then they’re no better than empty “thoughts and prayers.” At best they’re a callous cop-out, and at worst they become abuse fueled by false theology.

This may be harsh, but if you just “leave it up to God” and take no action, then your god is laziness and your god might be you.

No, we should never be controlled by fear or worry. We do need courage, resilience, and wisdom. But to rush to “We’ll be okay” or “It’s not that bad” is to dismiss those who are at ground zero, to overlook loss, to ignore the especially vulnerable. It’s to forget our part: to navigate responsibly, to hold ourselves accountable for us and for each other.

I doubt constantly. I have trouble trusting Him. I worry. And I remember the story of the Red Sea crossing, and I imagine two groups of people. Some of the Israelites stood tall and walked with chins high. But some were on their tippy toes, screaming the whole way. That’s me. I’m a tippy toed screamer. I find it hard to trust, to have faith. Yet grace makes room for us all. Grace carries both the fearless and the frail. Grace empowers us to make a step, even we are we most afraid.

If God is in control, that means I have to answer to Him. That raises my responsibility to the highest level. And if He’s in control, He has given us real resources to help. That should be motivation to do more, not less. And if I’m not in control, then I can’t do it in my strength, but His. That’s good news. That compels me to move.

 

This article about the meaning of God is in control originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

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About J.S. Park

J.S. Park is a hospital chaplain, pastor, sixth degree black belt, former atheist, recovered porn addict, and loves Jesus. He has a BA in Psychology from USF and a MDiv from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. In 2012, he gave away half his salary to fight human trafficking. He's been on the front page of Wordpress and writes for the non-profit X3Church. He's also written some books.

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