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Writer's pictureRandall Owens

Who's in the Driver's Seat?

Do you like to be in control? I do. It’s pretty much a universal principal. We all like the feeling of power. We like making the decisions. Maybe I’m just talking about me.

When it comes to our spiritual life, who’s in control? Is it you or is it God? The answer may surprise you. How do you feel about the idea that God is in control? That may get a quick amen when a preacher says it, but there is a point at which God stops being in control and you start being in control.

It works like this. God is in control of the GPS, but He allows you to be in control of the steering wheel. He sets the destination and the directions, but you have to steer the car. It’s up to you to follow His instructions, if you want to get to His destination. You control the car. You don’t get to just say “Jesus take the wheel” when things start to go sideways.

Genesis 2:16-17 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

God told Adam that he could eat whatever he wanted, just not from that one tree. But did you see what God said next? He immediately told Adam the consequences of making the wrong decision. He allowed Adam to have a choice. He didn’t force Adam to do what He knew would be best for him. Adam was in control of Adam...and you are in control of you.

From the very beginning, God established that there are decisions that He will allow you to make, even if the decision you make will cause you great harm. This is what we call free will.

The freedom of choice is so basic and yet so powerful. It can be wonderful and it can be dangerous. We are free to choose, but we are not free from the consequences of our choices. We are free to choose to break the law, but we are not free from the punishment it will bring. This is just common sense...except in California.

Some decisions God has reserved for Himself, and some decisions He allows us to make. The key for us is in understanding the difference between the two.

Would it surprise you to know that God has set limits to His control? Here’s what I mean. Did God determine the temperature outside today? Yes, He did. Did God determine the temperature in this room today? No, we did.

This is where we, as disciples of Jesus struggle. We don’t seem to be very good at separating the things that God controls and the things that we control. Let me be clear. God controls whatever He wants to control. God is not limited in His power. God is not hindered in accomplishing His desired outcome by allowing us to be free in our decisions. Let me say it like this.

When it comes to our life...God is in charge but we are in control.

Just because a composer has written the music and determined the arrangement of the harmonies, does not mean that the individual musicians don’t have control of their instrument. The best music is produced when the individual musicians add their personality to the written notes. The conductor is in charge of the overall direction, but allows the individual musicians freedom in their choices of expression.

That is how God’s will is accomplished in the earth. He’s written the plan and knows how it should look when accomplished, but

He has chosen to work through mankind to get it done. His plans are not ruined, if you say no. He will just use someone else...or allow a situation that will cause you to surrender.

God allows us, with our individual personalities and talents, the freedom to move and make decisions within His plan. God will get His will done, but He won’t force you to do it.The challenge lies in us thinking that we are in control of everything. This is where the danger of the hyper charismatic movement comes into play. There is a difference between you decreeing and declaring a thing to be and God allowing a thing to be.

The difference is in where the authority sits. The authority always stays with God. The power is always His. We can and should speak His word over our lives and situations, but we can’t make something happen just by declaring it ourselves. We can’t just declare healing over someone and it always happens. If that were the case, Christians would never need to go to the hospital. We know that is not the reality...not now or in the Bible. Not everyone in the bible was healed when they had a health issue.

So what is it that we have control over as believers? What decisions has God reserved for us?

Romans 10:9 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

The choice of where you spend eternity is completely up to you. That is something you have to make a decision about.

Deuteronomy 30:19 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and

death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live,”

God makes it clear that we have a choice to make. He has not created us as robots that are programmed to only do what He wants.

We’ve all been on a website that asked us to verify our identity. It will ask for your information and then at the very bottom of the form it has one more box you have to check. That box says: “I’m not a robot.”

The automated robot program that is checking the form wants to make sure you’re not one of them. It needs to know that you are a unique human individual who is making these decisions and not just a preprogrammed robot that is auto filling the blanks.

We click the box and think nothing of it. But let’s consider that for a few minutes this morning. Are you a robot who has been pre programmed to do certain things. Is your path a forgone conclusion? Are you allowed to deviate from it? If you are a robot, the answer is no. If you are an individual human with choices to make, the answer is yes.

Our spiritual choices began with salvation...but our choices do not end with salvation.

Mark 8:34 34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

You have a decision to make every day. Do you take up your cross and die to ourself in order to follow Christ or will you live your life for yourself today? It’s up to you. God won’t force you to follow Him.

But that is where we end up with problems in our life as Christians. If we live for ourself, we are ignoring the instruction that God has provided form His children, in His word. Is you life a mess? That is the direct result of you not following what Jesus said. The only way to peace is through following Jesus. We can’t live life our way and expect good results.Joshua 24:14-15 14 “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to servethe Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua is leading the Israelites and he is tired of their going back and forth between serving God and serving the gods of Egypt. He starts by telling them all that God has done for them. Bring them out of slavery, part the red sea and save them from the Egyptian army, deliver them from enemies, send them manna. He then tells them they have a choice to make. He’s decided what his household will do, but each of them must decide for themselves. And it’s the same for each of you today.

You had a choice this week to invite that friend to church today. You had a choice when you woke up today. Do I go to worship God with my brothers and sisters or do I just stay in bed? You had a choice when you got here today. Do I join with those who will lift up their voice to God and proclaim His worth and my thanks for who He is? Or will I stand quietly and just wait till the music is over? You don’t have to figure these things out on your own. You’ll find the answers to all of these choices in the Bible.

Psalm 25:12 “12 Who is the man who fears the Lord? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.”

Your choices reveal your priorities.

I know a lot of people struggle with making the right choices, so here’s the Kingdom key that will unlock some wisdom.

Set your priorities in the right order and the right choice will be clear. Priorities and choices always go together...and having the right priorities, will make the right choices clear.

Have you said that you want to serve The Lord, but have been making a series of choices that show it’s not been a priority? Maybe it’s time to start focusing on your priorities. It’s time to put first things first. Jesus taught us to put our spiritual needs first.

Matthew 6:33 says Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.



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