Control, it’s the first lie the snake used to describe God. It exposed Adam and Eves nakedness. It’s the introduction of condemnation and shame, the origin of the law of sin and death, the birthplace of every religious thought and action thereafter. Control, it masquerades in the religious rhetoric of holiness; its wars are holy, its politics, its inquisitions, its crusades, its genocide, its prejudice, discrimination, racism, sexism, its abuse – all painted with the brush of fanatic righteousness.

Control, it’s ego dressed up in virtue. It demands compliance, women will know their place, children will know their place, slaves, everyone must know their place.

Control, it’s a bully who’s been bullied, it’s a vicious cycle of condemnation masquerading as justice. Its victims become disciples.

Control, its the street preacher frothing at the mouth about hell and gays and gun rights. It’s hate speech framed as pious obedience. It’s the church standing up for what it’s against.

Control, it’s the talking head frothing at the mouth about Christianity while normalizing depravity. It’s the religion of what ever feels good. It sexualizes everyone for its own amusement. It saves the whales while rationalizing abortion.

Control, it’s the paradigm of a fallen world, the lens by which most see thru, the context by which multitudes measure success, value, respect and significance. It promises that we don’t have to live afraid, helpless, exposed; that we don’t have to be victims.

Control, it makes everyone its victim.

Deep down we know control is a mirage. We know it’s a perversion of the truth; it’s a counterfeit to our designed grace – to be loved and to love. But to the extent we don’t know the power and authority of LOVE is to the extent we’ll find ourselves clamoring for it; control of our god, control of our destinies, our jobs, our finances, our relationships, the dog, the House, the Senate, the Mexican border, Afghanistan.

Control is the lie inserted into our relationship with God. It’s the lie about God and the lie about us. If believed, it will strive to own our every breath, every thought, every moment. But it always leads to the same place – shame, condemnation, fear and death.

Control, it’s ugly, unkind and selfish. It’s counter to all God is and yet it is the word we often use to describe Him.

Control, we box God into a broken paradigm, a fallen narrative, a flawed thought, a lie spawned by the enemy of our soul, and then when everything goes to hell we either give God a pass and call it sovereignty or blame Him for the brokenness.

Control, it has nothing to do with the sovereignty of God.

God is LOVE. LOVE has all authority and is the most powerful revelation.

It’s time we stopped painting LOVE with the brush of control.

 

 is an author, singer/songwriter, speaker and director of A Family Story ministries. His mission is to encourage sons and daughters to grow sure in the love of an always-good heavenly Father. He and his wife, Karen, live in North Carolina with their three children. Jason’s new book God is NOT in Control is available now.

http://www.afamilystory.org/god-is-not-in-control/