Touré Roberts - Relinquishing the Myth of Control

The title of today’s message is «Relinquishing the Myth of Control.» I almost titled this message «Relinquishing the Illusion of Control,» but I prefer «myth» because it implies a story we sometimes come to believe, even though it is not true. The truth of the matter is, and I want you to hear me clearly, you are not in control. You’re not. If you’re honest, whenever you’ve tried to control something, you’ve usually messed it up, at least a little bit. Have you ever tried to put your hand on something, and it turned out worse because you interfered? I’ll be honest with you: I wrestled with this message because I was trying to reconcile two truths. The first truth I’ve already mentioned: we are not in control; God is. However, there is another truth as well: there are things that God has placed in our hands that we are responsible for. There are tasks that God has assigned us to do, things that we have been inspired to accomplish, and we must follow through with them.

In one sense, there’s the truth that says we are not in control, but there’s also the reality that we are in control of what God has put in our hands to do. I struggled with this because today I want to talk about relinquishing—that’s the main focus of my message. The reason I wrestled with these two concepts is that I don’t want to create a type of person who relinquishes control and falls into a state of inactivity and impotence. I don’t want you to think, «Well, since I’m not in control, I might as well do nothing.» That’s not it. As I sought to reconcile these seemingly conflicting ideas, I prayed and asked God to show me something in His Word that reconciles two truths: first, that we are not in control of life, and second, that the things God has placed in our hands are ours to manage. Out of nowhere—I’m telling you, God is so good! —He directed me to James, chapter 4, beginning at verse 13.

Let’s go there: it says, «Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city.’» The wording is interesting because we often say things like, «We’re going to this or that place.» But listen to what it says: «Come now, you say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit.’» First of all, there’s nothing wrong with ambition. There’s nothing wrong with having a vision or a plan; planning for success is important. You’ve heard it before: if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. So this isn’t a criticism or a devaluation of planning, having a vision, or setting goals. There’s nothing wrong with that.

He’s talking to all of us today, addressing those of you who have a plan and are determined to succeed. You’re determined to grow. You’re going to do this; you’re going to do that. But I just want you to pay attention for a moment because I’m about to break something down for you. Then, in verse 14, he kind of bursts our bubble a little bit. He says, «Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.» Look at this—here’s the beginning of that balance: yes, you’re going to go to this city and that city. Yes, you’re going to work hard; yes, you have a vision; and yes, you have a dream. I want you to pursue it with all your might. Do that thing! But let me balance it with a dose of reality: first and foremost, you don’t know what’s going to happen. I feel something on that! Yes, I’m glad you have plans; that’s wonderful! Plan, plan, and make more plans. It’s beautiful, great, and phenomenal! Yes, I want to know where you see yourself in five years, and I want you to have an answer, but it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t consider the uncertainty of life.

He makes it clear: «Now you don’t even know—not only five years from now, but you don’t know what’s going to happen in the morning.» He continues, «Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.» This is such a sobering passage; it’s a true verse that humbles us. We need to be inspired yet humble simultaneously; inspired for tomorrow, but humble enough to acknowledge that God holds our tomorrow, not us. Balancing those two realities is crucial.

Then it says, «For what is your life?» Now God is getting personal. Initially, we were discussing my dreams, my vision, and my plans, but now He’s probing into my very existence. He says, «For what is your life? It is even a vapor.» Consider how the Creator thinks; He communicates in a way that reflects His thoughts. There’s a passage in Isaiah 55 where He says, «My thoughts are not your thoughts; my ways are not your ways. As high as the heavens are from the earth, so is the distance between my thoughts and your thoughts.» I don’t think…