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Stop Trying to Control God

by Subomi Plumptre

As I grew up, I realised that God answers prayers, but not all the time. Then something struck me. I was spending a chunk of my life trying to control God; trying to develop a Christian formula that yielded predictable results. I wanted to input prayer, fasting, giving and good works, so the Christian processing system could output answered prayers, prosperity, peace and a good life.

But, God is a sovereign independent being with a mind of his own. He cannot be controlled. He does not exist to meet my needs. There is no formula for God. And, there is no predictable formula for life.

That a person does good is no guarantee that they will not reap evil. Maybe there’s a grand plan that humans can’t see. But I think Solomon said it best, when he called life, vanity. Good men don’t always triumph and things we expect don’t always happen.

This shouldn’t make us despondent. It shouldn’t lead to futility and despair. Rather, it should humble us. It should change the nature of our relationship with God and with life. It should force us to stop commanding God and making demands, as if he had nothing else to do. Rather, when we approach the place of prayer, we could ask him for a change,

“God what are you doing right now? What’s important to you and how can I help?”

“In your opinion God, what path should my life take now and how can I adjust to it?”

A realisation of life’s unpredictability should also inspire us to love. Love is one thing that’s applicable to all circumstances and that’s relevant to all situations. Love is purposeful. It has meaning. It leaves an impact. It always matters.

In an unpredictable world, one thing you can control is your demonstration of love.

I spent so much time trying to control God; trying to develop a Christian formula that yielded predictable results. Click To Tweet In an unpredictable world, one thing you can control is your demonstration of love. Click To Tweet

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