We like to be in charge - if not of others, at least of our own lives. We like to choose what we want and when we want it. We tend to bristle when others impose their will upon us - whether this be the government, employers, or even our own friends and family. Money often is seen as a key to keeping or boosting our personal sovereignty.

The more I like being in control, the more I will fear losing it - because something bad will likely happen if I don’t prevent it. So both suffering the bad or losing control will bring sadness and anxiety into my life, when my goal is quite the opposite - to be happy and at peace. Of course, if God is truly sovereign, do I really have any control?

Sadness is the natural result of loss. Most of what I gain in this life I will eventually lose, often multiple times. Since losses typically impact people twice as powerfully as a similar gain, this emotion can predominate life. And the more I value what I lost, the deeper and longer my sadness will be, and the more I will withdraw and seek comfort.

Ironically, many losses come with an associated, yet distinctly different, gain, which I do well to seek and fully embrace. Focusing only on a past or expected loss can prevent me from even noticing the gain right before me. When I accept God as my Lord and Sovereign, I give up much, including my own will that is opposed to God. Perceived as a loss, I may grieve over and naturally cling to this old will. However, meditating on the gain, as this psalmist does, allows me to see the Spirit as good leadership to guide me through life.

Doing my best with what I can control is good. However, believing I can control all outcomes or desiring a guaranteed future will eventually disappoint because life always brings unexpected events - some of which I will perceive to be good, but many I will not like. The unexpected good is easy, but how do I respond to this unexpected bad?

To stoically bear through the bad is often needed.
To squeeze any good I can find from it is admirable.
To believe good will eventually come from a bad makes it much more tolerable, if not acceptable.
To know God will lovingly work good from everything I experience can bring peace and joy even in the midst of the bad.

As a human, I am clearly responsible and accountable for what I do. If I choose not to work, I will have less or no money. If I choose to not be friendly, I will likely have few or no friends. In His sovereignty, God created me as an image of Him, with the ability to think and act independently (even to sin) - yet He is always in control. It is not a matter of either/or; it is both - He is sovereign and I am accountable.

I must concede that much in my life is not within my control. I might then look at my own limitations and erroneously assume God is similarly constrained. Must the sovereign Creator even conform to the scientific norms of His own creation? No, His sovereignty soars even above His created works.

In Revelation, Jesus is revealed in the end times as Lord and King. While on earth, He did not appear to be sovereign, but rather made Himself submissive to His Father, God. The conclusion is that the One and Only God, Who is the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son - Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit), has been and always will be the one and only sovereign.

Believe that God's control is sovereign and He will use it for good, so then I can rest in all that is not within my control and gratefully submit to God’s authority.

Ask: What am I trying to control in my life that is not actually in my control? How is that causing me unnecessary grief and anxiety? What Biblical truth do I need to remember and believe so I gain the confidence to trust in God's good control and reap the joy and peace that comes from true belief?

Almighty God, I confess that my will often remains the center of my life. Forgive me and help me to accept You as my Sovereign Creator and Lord. Let my love for You overwhelm my still-demanding and independent self.

A free market economy has nearly satiated our desire for personal sovereignty. In the last 20 years, the number of items found at a typical grocery store has grown from 7000 to 40-50,000. Want coffee? From basically two different beans (arabica or robusta), we need to choose from whole beans, ground or instant - then decaf, flavored, and type of roast - grown in what part of the world - organic, fair trade, or rainforest alliance certified? Not to mention brand. And then there's the milk that you can choose to add (or not) - cream, whole, 2%, skim, coconut, almond, soy, oat, rice, hemp, cashew.....

I really like being able to choose what I want. However, once I experience nearly unlimited choice, a lack of choice can diminish my sense of control and invoke an intense feeling of personal loss. How do I feel loss even in little things - when I see an empty shelf instead of the product I really want to buy? Or when I cannot get any faster than 2-day shipping from Amazon?

The good news is that no matter how overwhelmed and out of control we may feel, thankfully nothing, large or small, hinders God's control.

Power, money, fame, sex? All these have unique abilities to control in this life, but it seems money is the universal currency. Money can not only buy certain levels of power, fame and sex, it can also bring much comfort and security. And with all of these benefits, I can feel not only powerful, but maybe even a bit “sovereign”…!

The first British Gold Sovereign Coins were minted over 500 years ago and they remain the world’s oldest surviving coin, still in production for use as gold bullion. When King Henry VII ordered the first Sovereign to be struck, the coin featured a portrait of himself enthroned and dressed in full coronation regalia. The coin declared to the world who was now in charge and those with the coin owned a bit of that power. We now use paper or electronic substitutes for gold. Just as this paper is worthless unless backed by a sovereign government, our perceived personal power is only a cheap reflection of God’s sovereignty.

"Have Thine own way Lord
Have Thine own way
Thou art the potter I am the clay
Mold me and make me after Thy will
While I am waiting yielded and still (1st verse)