In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

Proverbs 16:9

I read a book by the same title as this post (by Jason Clark). I think there is some truth to it, but I am still trying to flesh out how this all fits together. The main premise is that God is not controlling us. He has chosen sovereign love over sovereign control. In a desire for authentic relationship, he has ceded control of this world during this age over to us, with all the problems and consequences therein.

I am good with the idea that God is not control-ing, but it feels troublesome to say he is not in control; that all the inmates are running the asylum; all the monkeys are running the circus.

If God is not in control, that feels like chaos.

Just yesterday, I was assuaging my daughter’s fears about the war which has begun in Ukraine. I said something to the effect of “God is in Control,” before I walked that back a little.

You see, if God is in control, would he be allowing (or even causing) the war in Ukraine? Telling someone from Ukraine that God is in control doesn’t feel very comforting right now.

Or what about victims of abuse? Is it comforting to them that God is in control (and allowed the abuse to happen under his watch)?

To say that God is good and that God is in control seem mutually exclusive at times.

Are the evils and atrocities of this age the will of God? The answer is emphatically no!

So if it is not his will, and yet it still happens, the idea of him not being in control makes sense.

But I don’t like the alternative either (But God is God and God is good). I am left wondering if there is some middle ground.

Maybe he is not in control, but has everything in order? He somehow allows humanity to have free will without allowing us to devolve into chaos. This idea could be like a cruise ship captain. God is in control of the ship and the overall direction of humanity, but is not in control of the people on the ship.

I feel like I should pause really quickly and address the idea of predestination, which maybe addresses the overall direction of humanity. I like the way Ken Blue puts it:

Predestination means we were eternally found in Jesus before we were ever lost in Adam.

Or more simply, God knows where he wants all of us to end up, but has given us the choice to agree with that destination or not.

One more illustration on how God may walk the line between control and chaos. Reading the prophet Joel this morning got me to thinking about the Pharaoh and the plagues. Throughout that entire story, God never controlled Pharaoh. He wanted Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, but never once forced his will upon Pharaoh. God constantly warned Pharaoh of the impending calamities and then handed Pharaoh over to his own consequences. But Pharaoh was still able to not listen to God. In fact, Pharaoh committed lots of atrocities against the Israelites between the first plague and his final relenting.

Evil still happened while God was bending the arc of that narrative. Maybe God is not in control of humans? Perhaps he controls the world around us in such a way as to encourage us in certain directions? Of course we are free to choose paths of greater resistance, and we often do.

Ultimately, God wants us to freely choose love, but will never pull the marionette strings. He utterly loves you and is always for you and your redemption.

Maybe that is what we should say when we are trying to comfort and console.

Instead of:

 “Don’t worry, God is in control.” (which some may see as a failure on His part)

Maybe we should simply say:

“God Loves you and is completely for you.”

I am not sure where the line of control ends and chaos begins, but the events in Ukraine feel like chaos. This does not feel like he is in control. Blood and tears shed in that country are not the desire of God’s heart.

I guess I am left to remind myself that God is good. Somewhere in this mess is an invitation to trust in that goodness; that his desire for love is greater than the desire for control, and this will sometimes leave the door open for evil to enter.

Lord, bend your arc quickly and bring peace to Ukraine.