UMC20230104 Control
UMC20230104 - Control¶
Happy New Year! I love this time of year. Resetting. Prioritising. Centring. As a family, we had the privilege of having an awesome New Years' holiday break together; eating, drinking, dancing, and being merry. A friend of mine told me about their New Years holiday. They got to stay in an off-grid chalet in the middle of nowhere. On New Year's Eve morning, there was a technical fault and they lost electricity. Now there was a generator that could have run for over a week and instead of letting it be and relaxing into the new year, their family member who was hosting them obsessively tried to fix the problem that had occurred; phoning people, checking delivery services, phoning friends, and eventually paid an arm and a leg to get a new part sent up that same day. It was tense and no matter how hard they tried, she couldn't let it go or accept help.
Now I am not judging her at all, my friend said was an incredible host and their New Year's Eve party was epic. But, what I hope we learn in encounters like this are the dangers of always needing to feel in control. When we hold on so tightly to control like this we can lose sight of those around us and it often leads to panic and cause harm/anxiety to the ones we love. Control leads us to live in a scarcity mindset rather than an abundance mindset. The currency of the kingdom of God is abundance.
What are you trying to control in your life? What are you holding onto tightly? Who are you pushing away because of this? What are the situations in which you explode when you don't feel in control? When you move straight to anger?
This year I am wanting to practice the daily prayer of "thy will be done". Continually consulting God on daily tasks, monthly tasks, and general life direction. This year I want to practice living in the abundance of the kingdom.
Love,
Cliff