There is something strange about how much time human beings spend trying to control things we can’t control. We plan our schedules throughout the year with the expectation that our lives should go accordingly. In fact, there are more apps and devices for every part of our life, so that most of life can just become a continuous pattern of events by just pressing GO!
None of those things are necessarily bad. Planning is a good part of life. But have you noticed how quickly planning can turn into worrying? We create a plan and then we start to worry if our plan is going to work! And sometimes, even after we’ve done everything we can possibly do, we still can’t relax.
WE WEREN’T CREATED TO BE GOD
The opening chapters of Genesis describe humanity living in God’s good creation. Adam and Eve have meaningful work and responsibilities to care for creation. It’s a pretty good plan! But there is one important distinction. They are responsible for the garden, but they aren’t in control. It is only the Lord who is in control. It is the Lord who defines what is good, provides what they need, and invites them to enjoy His creation under His control.
But then Genesis 3 happens. The serpent approaches Eve and begins questioning God’s instructions. He suggests that God is withholding something good from them. And then he makes an extraordinary promise by suggesting, “You can be like God, knowing good and evil.” Think about that.
Adam and Eve already live in paradise, and everything they need. But apparently, being perfection isn’t enough. They want to be like God. They want the authority to determine good and evil for themselves rather than trusting the One who created them. And humanity has been struggling with that temptation ever since.
WE STILL WANT TO BE GOD
Obviously, most of us don’t walk around telling people that we want to be God. That would make Thanksgiving a little uncomfortable. But think about how often we act as though everything depends on us.
We even want to be in control and when things don’t go according to plan, we get frustrated. Sometimes we lie awake at three in the morning trying to solve a problem that we couldn’t solve at three in the afternoon. Why?
It’s because somewhere along the way, we started believing that if we could just think hard enough, plan carefully enough, or work diligently enough, we could make everything turn out the way we wanted. And yet, no matter how hard we try, something always reminds us that we’re not in control and when it becomes obvious it is usually devastating. It is that call from the doctor or that text from one of our children. It can drop us to our knees, because we never saw it coming.
Even as a follower of Jesus, we can do everything right and still experience an outcome we never wanted, because at the end of the day we don’t have ultimate control. And that realization can be terrifying.
AND THEN JESUS SHOWS UP
Isn’t it interesting that when Jesus teaches His followers about anxiety, He doesn’t begin by giving them a better planning system? In Matthew 6, Jesus talks about some of the very things people spend their lives worrying about. And then He points to the birds.
Birds don’t plant crops, harvest fields, or store food in barns, and yet God feeds them. Then Jesus points to the flowers. They don’t work or make clothing, and yet God clothes them with extraordinary beauty. And Jesus asks a remarkable question, “Are you not worth much more than they?” Yikes!
Humanity has been trying to take God’s place since Genesis 3. And Jesus comes along and reminds us that we already have a Father who knows what we need. He isn’t telling us to stop working, planning, or being responsible. Birds still gather food. And throughout Scripture, wisdom and diligence are celebrated.
But Jesus is confronting the belief that everything depends on us. He says, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” And then, “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself.”
Jesus doesn’t promise that tomorrow will be easy. He doesn’t promise that we’ll never experience loss, disappointment, or uncertainty. Instead, He invites us to trust the Father who already knows what tomorrow holds.
After all, Jesus didn’t come simply to forgive us for trying to be God. He came to bring us back into a relationship with the Father, so we can finally know the joy of being in relationship with the One who is in control of all things.