Thankful that I am not in charge, God is ruler and Lord

On Tuesday, October 25, I was visiting in the home of one of the members of St. John. I have known the person I visited for over 30 years. This member has been in ill health, but is greatly improving, and I was checking on them, praying with them, and bringing the Lord’s Supper. As we visited, I asked this child of God about their children. As pastor, I have known this person’s children and watched them grow. The answer I was given shared some wisdom. After they shared a few details I was told, “I’m not in charge! When they were younger I was in charge. Now I love them and pray for them.”

This response was wise for a number of reasons. In regard to parenting, we share our faith and our values with our children primarily when they are young. Hopefully, parents can plant the seed of faith in the hearts of their children when children are growing up. We pray that the seeds of God’s love and His Word grow and bear fruit in the lives of our children as they mature as children of God when they leave home, and as they live their lives as adults. However, while parents can still share their opinions with grown children, if parents seek to force their children to certain choices when the children are adults, the children can resent their parents. The parents can lose the opportunity to influence and speak to their children. The wisdom in this member’s words are that a parent seeks to influence when they have responsibility for their children, but when the children become adults the parents pray that God would be the one guiding their loved ones. Personally, I need to keep learning this lesson of wisdom.

The wisdom of this member’s response is not only true for parenting. There are situations in life that concern us, but where we can only do so much. For example, our country currently faces political unrest. In addition, pandemic is greatly changing our lives in many ways. Also, traditional churches are struggling. What can we do? We can vote and express our opinions respectfully. We can make responsible choices in regard to the illness ravaging our world. We can serve and give of ourselves faithfully to expand the mission and ministry of God’s church in our home congregations. But, our best efforts do not always yield the results we desire, nor the results we think are best.

However, there is someone who is Lord of all. In the assigned Gospel Lesson for October 17, Jesus taught His disciples, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27) So, as children of God we seek to live faithfully, but we also understand there are areas of life where “We are not in charge.” Therefore, we pray, and let God act in His power, and love and wisdom. In fact, if you think the world is in bad shape now, I can tell you it would be in worse condition if I was in charge!

Human beings do not like to admit that there are areas where we are powerless. But, we are sinful, and Jesus is the Lord of all. Because of our sin we are powerless even when it comes to our eternal destiny. But, we can and do trust in God’s grace in Jesus. That is why Paul writes in Ephesians 2, “1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:1-5). We were dead in our sins and we are powerless to gain eternal life. But, where we are powerless, where we are not in charge, God who is all powerful, who is loving, and who is merciful, God is Ruler and Lord!

What does a child of God do when we face problems and challenges in life where, if we are honest, we know we have limited ability to change the situation. We admit we are not in charge, but we know the one who is. We live faithfully, and we pray. We trust the one who saved us in Jesus to see us through life’s trials. We trust the Lord of all to work His good even when we cannot see good in the situation. Yes, “I am not in charge” . . . but I know Who is!