In Control

"This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father." - John 10:17-18


If you've never had the opportunity to argue with a 4 year old, I'd suggest you try it some time - because it's often about issues related to independence. For instance, my daughter, who told me tonight that when she has kids, she's going to let them stay up until 10:00 at night. I tried to reason with her, reminding her that kids that stay up late are often grouchy, can get sick easier, and are generally not pleasant to be around. None of this mattered to her already-made-up four-year-old mind. Her kids were staying up until 10, because she gets to make the rules.

I promptly reminded her that I too make the rules, and that MY kid (her) would be going to bed at 8:00. It did not go over well.

Now, I'm not trying to compare our Savior's words with my four-year-old's focus on independence. But Jesus reminds us that his death was his decision. Not those that wanted to murder him, but an event that he himself is allowing to happen. It reminds me of his conversations with Satan while in the desert - Satan trying to get him to spring water from a rock, to throw himself off a cliff to have God save him - and again Jesus asserting his control over it all, and failing to succumb to the devil's temptations.

And again, Jesus is reminding us that, while we may think we're in control of his life, it's the other way around. He's in control, he's going to let it happen at it's appointed time, and when the time comes, he will go willingly.

When you look at it that way, it's much easier to give a little more control back to God.

But I'm still going to bed at 10.