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Control

Body:

Let’s face it, as athletes, we have a lot going on. We have classes, homework, practices, games, travel, social activities, community service and (hopefully) rest. As Christians, we also have church, Bible studies and daily quiet times. All of this combined can lead to a ton of stress and anxiety. We don’t feel like we can afford to slip up in any area.

So, we turn to control. If we can keep everything under our strict authority, we might just make it. But it won’t be easy. We’ll have to make sure we stay on top of our game, at all times, thinking through every possible scenario that could go wrong making a plan to avoid it.

That kind of lifestyle is more stress-inducing; driving us to unmovable schedules, limited social activity, uncommonly rigid diet and exercise, manipulation of people and situations, and a tendency to lie to maintain control. While it’s good to have discipline and healthy boundaries, when our need for control starts to crowd out God’s plan, our relationships, our health and our peace, we have an issue that needs to be confronted.

Here’s something you might not want to hear: you have zero capability to control the world around you. We’re all at the mercy of powers much bigger than we are.

Thank God. While it can be scary to think about the idea of not being in control of anything, it won’t be if we know Who is.

When we begin to discover the nature and power of the God who guides us, protects us and helps us; we’ll know that His Word says things like, “He’ll never leave us” (Hebrews 13:5) and that, “He causes all things to work for our good” (Romans 8:28). Over time, we will begin to trust Him as He proves faithful and be able to keep our peace even when things start moving in a direction we don’t like.

Questions:

1. How do you react when something throws off your plan or schedule?
2. How much anxiety does feeling out of control give you? How do you manage that anxiety?
3. What does God’s Word say about His faithfulness? (Don’t just answer off the top of your head. Do some study.)

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