Trust or Control

Do you see yourself as a person who trusts others? Or to put it another way, and perhaps in a more telling way, are you a trustworthy person yourself? Do others see you as someone they can trust? Is your word your bond, and can it be relied on? Wow, so many questions, but they go to the heart of my thoughts today. 

After all, what is the opposite of trust? Perhaps the person who has little or no trust is a control junkie where there is a monster round every corner, waiting to take away your personal freedom. If you are not a trusting person, there is a big  probability that you fear being controlled. There are those who do have an irrational fear of ‘big brother’/government control which can be seen and applied from many angles. The food we eat. Is it deliberately processed to control? The news program we watch. Is it set to present a skewed view of the world in such a way to suggest we are being controlled from a higher place?

Somehow, I think you have come across people who fear control. There may even be a few friends who think that way, and express their views openly and in such a way as to gather support for their views. These folks may be quite unsure of themselves or even paranoiac. They can also be very vocal in the expression of their views.

The faithful Christian believer is ripe ground for feeling they (and the world) are under control from the top, whether government, MPC (Monetary Policy Control), or the biggie WEF (World Economic Forum). These may all lead in an extreme way to the One World Government, and/or a Single Currency. A good example of a united currency is where the Euro replaced a dozen or so other national currencies. Take that a step further and think of the world having one currency. Imagine the benefits, but also the dangers!

The Bible warns of the end times having a one world currency, and a one world religion. Imagine the dangers, and now maybe we can understand why some fervent believers are so vocal in their views. Are they right, or perhaps misguided in their extreme opinions?

A man brought his son to Jesus for healing from a demonic spirit, and he knew his own limitations, but he fully believed in Jesus’ power to heal when he exclaimed:”I believe, help Thou my unbelief”. Mark 9:24. He got it right when he determined that Jesus knew the difference between doubt, disbelief and unbelief, and could heal all three. May we have the simple faith of that man!

Two Faced

Two faced, that’s what we, as a society, are. Hypocrites that speak with a forked tongue. Let me explain what has annoyed me this morning.

Two deaths. Two very different deaths, but both from drug misuse, and treated so differently by the media. First, and for me the more important is the loss of life of a young woman aged 17, who takes a ‘substance’ while on a night out. Maybe for the first time, but certainly the last. A waste of a life that was spread out before her, but she never got to see. Her candle snuffed out by an unknown and dangerous person, known only as a ‘dealer’ and who will probably never be brought to justice for murder.

The other death reported on the same news stream, is that of an actor. A celebrity who is known by movie worthies world wide, and the media reports? They are evenly split between reporting how great an actor he was, and how he has raised the bar for other actors, and then almost as an afterthought, the fact that he died of a possible drug overdose. This man is shown as a hero, who gets accolades in his death, possibly more than in life, and his loss of celebrity is mourned over the fact that he died from a drugs overdose.

Yes, we are two faced. What kind of message do we as society give our children? Is it ok to be a celebrity and take drugs, but receive praise on endless media reports, or do we mourn an equally important but unknown young girl who loses her life due to being misled by our very same confusion over whether drug use is acceptable or not, and is a footnote on the news? Sadly both have families who mourn their loss, but can we please not elevate drug taking actors to celebrity sainthood? As we say in Scotland, “Gonnae no dae that”?  

I Have The Plane

The plane is in the air, and under the capable hands of the co-pilot, who has shown every skill and competence during the flight so far. He is feeling good with himself, because this is the furthest and longest he has had control of the plane, and he might even get to take it the full journey and do the final descent, and ultimately land the jet safely. He is feeling pleased and almost smug.

The pilot has been watching during the journey, and sees things differently from the co-pilot. He then breaks the silence, and the dream of his partner, and utters the words, “I have the plane”. The controls are then passed immediately to the senior pilot, with the co-pilot responding, “You have the flight”. The safety of the passengers is now in the hands of the more experienced. Both pilots know the rules. Both pilots have already agreed the discipline, because after all, they are both professional airmen, with the ultimate goal being the safety of the passengers.

We love to be in control, and there are times we get too cocky, thinking we have it all 'in our own hands' and don't need any help. We are making the trip ourselves, and without any external help. Then Jesus sees our heart, steps in, and says, “I have the plane”. What do we do? Do we argue with the Senior Pilot and refuse to pass control, while still trying to stay on course by ourselves, perhaps putting the others we have responsibility for, in danger? Or, knowing the Senior Pilot, do we immediately hand the controls of our 'plane' over willingly, in the full knowledge that He knows best? Like you, I know what we should do but we are not always good at doing it willingly. In the meantime, those around us we love, are in danger until we finally hand over the controls of our lives.

After all, if anyone can land our plane safely, we know it is the Senior Pilot, right? Even Jesus had to hand control over to the Father, his own Senior Pilot.

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Luke 22v42