Something that seems to quickly send people into a panic is losing their phone, if even for just a moment. I know from personal experience that losing sight of my phone, even for the shortest of times, creates a sense of terror within me. Without my phone, I lose my connection to the world. I can’t receive calls, texts, etc. I lose the ability to know the latest updates on Facebook, X, Instagram, etc. I don’t know the latest news. I don’t have access to my hundreds of contacts. Even with all the ways things are backed up to the cloud, I know that if my phone is lost, I will lose at least some important information. I know I’m not alone, because I’ve seen the panicked looks of people when they can’t find their phones. It’s often a look of sheer terror. Why does this seemingly simple act, misplacing an object, lead to such panic? In a word: control. In a world where we are so connected, and the expectation of many is that we stay connected, losing a phone means losing control of our lives and world.
Let’s face it: we like having control over all aspects of life. Any sense that we are losing control, from misplacing a phone to our children growing up, to the weather, can cause panic. Here’s the thing: we don’t have control, and we never will. We’ll never have the ability to control the decisions of others, to slow down time, to control the weather, etc. It’s not a question of preventing ourselves from losing control, but of learning to be ok with not having control. A large step towards having peace with our lack of control is realizing that the really big stuff, especially our eternity, lies firmly in the hands of God. Read over the following three verses a couple of times:
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed. Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings. For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool, but my righteousness will be forever, and my salvation to all generations. Isaiah 51:6-8
The point of these verses is that we can’t control the things of the world, but that’s ok! Because we put our faith in God, we are assured that God controls our future and that the future is perfect and eternal. Yes, there will always be much we cannot control, but God controls our eternity. So, be ready to lose control today, tomorrow, and a plethora of times in the future. When you do lose control be reminded that, in the end, God is fully in control of your eternity.
