Parakalein

Is this God speaking or me, I am not sure:

I know that if God was in control he would create amore just, fair and equitable society and I also believe that one day in a new heaven and earth God will be in control.  So ultimately God is in control.  But for now and here on earth God is not in control.

God is in "self control" as reflected in that, that is one aspect of the collective fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). He is not in control nor does God desire to be in control of the physical universe.  God is however responsive to and involved in the created physical world.  Ultimately God is in control.  But here and now God is not in control as God has given control of this world over to its own choice. The will that is done in heaven will one day be done on earth, but it is in the now, not so much.

God is not in control of events that occur but God is in control of being involved in and not intrusively controlling.  God controls involvement in the events but does not direct the events.

When the earthquake hit Japan, God was not controlling that moment in time nor sending devastation into the lives and families of Japan.  God is good not that he sends good things our way and bad when he sends bad things our way.  I am not bad when God sends bad things my way or good when God things come my way.. Things good and bad come my way because it is the nature of good things and bad things to come my way.  My only choices are to be thankful for the good things and not take them for granted and to be creative in the bad things looking for ways to creative find good in the bad things.  Making the best of the worst of times and never taking the best of times for granted is a discipline of life and faith.  God, Romans 8 tells us, is in the business of drawing and designing creative ways of pour goodness into whatever happens and drawing goodness our of whatever happens.  Those who love God and live according to the purposes of God know that God's purpose is to nurture goodness in whatever happens in the world.  It is not good that people die in tragedy but God enters the tragedy and creatively a helps us find good in it or draw good out of it. The discipline of "self-control" is a quality of God that every event challenges us to embrace.  When good things happen we can think it is God's affirmation, and when bad things happen we can imagine it is displeasure but truly it is neither.  It is a call for us to remain humble and thankful for the good things.  It is a call to be humble and disciplined when bad things happen.

When I give up trying to control others and learn to control my temptation to judge others I am learning the discipline of self-control.  Who is in control of you?  You are.  Who is in control of the events that happen, no one.  You are in control of how you respond to whatever happens.

I wise young man passed on to me something that he learned along the road of living.  The simp[lest and most profound truth i snot made up of big words or complex ideas.  It is a series of 10, two letter words that empower people to see that they are in control of their now and their future:  "If it is to be it is up to me".  God is at you side to help and nurture your growth not to do things against you or for you.

Let God be God and learn to be you!