The Keys to Life

Have you ever found yourself daydreaming about what your going to be doing during the week? Or about that party you will be going to? Say, you have a party and there will be dancing, and that party is six days from this day that you're sitting at your school desk, staring out the window thinking about it. You say to yourself, “This is going to be so much fun! I can't wait I can't wait, I can't wait...” Then you picture yourself there on the dance floor with friends all around you and you think, “My favorite song will start to play and I'll totally rock the dance floor and everyone will be like, 'wow dude, that's amazing! I had no idea you could dance like that!' and I'll just have so much fun.... I can't wait!”

That day comes, you get to the party, only 5 people there that you know, and then you get the news that the speakers won't work, and so there won't be any dancing. Instead, you will all be watching a movie that you just watched the day before. Did that party turn out the way you'd planned it?

I think that in this day and age we think that we can control our lives. The message given to society is that you must be the proverbial, “King of your castle”. You need to be in control and doing the things that you want, not what others want of you. Well, guess what? Were not the kings and queens of our castles! Indeed, we're the very opposite! If anything we are simply the surfs. The ruler of our domain is God. The ruler of our bodies is God. The reason I don't put us at even say, the prince or princess is this. The people around us can rule our lives more than we can. Now, you may say that this is absurd but hear me out. God puts in place all that will happen to you. He knows what you are going to do before you do it and He planned for it to be that way.
Ephesians 1:11 “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,”
God has planned out what it is exactly that we will be doing and when we will be doing it. And it all has to do with His sovereign will. God has put people in our lives that will stop us from doing what we think we should do, or maybe make us do thinks that we think we shouldn't do. He works all things together for good, and when we try to take over it's not going to go well for us.

I heard an analogy from a friend of mine, she said this, “I guess, all in all, it's like, God has the keys to the ignition---without them, it's not gonna run! Same with our lives--God holds the key to our lives--without Him, we're just gonna sit and sputter.” In reply to this I decided to take the analogy one step further, and I said this, “God has the key, and we're the thief. We are trying to hot wire the car, turn it on without the key, but we don't know how to. So instead, we destroy the cars functionality.”

I really do like this analogy for it seems to put in place the idea that when we try to take our lives and control them, we are trying to do something that we physically, emotionally, and spiritually are incapable of doing. Have you ever thought about what it would be like if God said to you, “Alright, you don't like the way I'm doing it? Then here, take the keys, you make the decisions.” Now, at first glance I'd say, “Wow! Yes! I'm free! I get to decide how my life turns out! This is incredible, my life will be perfect from here on out!” But wait a minute, will that be true? I know from my personal history that it simply wouldn't turn out that way. From what I have done in the past I know that I would decide to take my life in the wrong direction. And, if God did this for everyone there would be a serious problem! If God handed the “keys” over to each person in the world then we would all be ruined. Mass murders would get their wish, poor people would get rich, rich people would become richer. Terrorists would take over the world, but those against terror would save the world. It would be mass hysteria. All this to say that we are seriously incapable of controlling our lives. God must be at the helm of life because He is the only One capable of steering our ship.

We have got to let God take our lives, and do with them as He pleases. And if we are faithful, and trust in His will then it will go well with us! We can trust His steadfast love.
Psalm 36:5-12 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD. How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart! Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. There the evildoers lie fallen; they are thrust down, unable to rise.

God knows what He's doing my friends. My life could be better right now, I'm not as well off as I'd like to be, there are things in life, at this very moment that I wish I could change. Things that I wish had never happened, but you know what? God's picture is bigger. It's a phrase that I tend to hear a lot but do I truly know what it means? It means that God knows what He's doing. I must trust Him, and know that He is doing what He knows I need best, to shape me into the man that I will be in the future. And, if He takes my life at a young age, it will be for a purpose, whether to change the heart of an entire generation, or to change the heart of one, simple man, it will all be worth it.

I encourage you to look at your life. Ask yourself, “Am I trying to start the car without a key? Am I trying to control my life when God should be?” And if you think so, go to Him, ask His forgiveness and give Him back the keys! God loves you, and He will always love you, it's time to love Him in return.

-Your Brother in Christ