Key Truth: God is in Control
Just the word control makes my muscles tighten. If you’re new around here, I am a bit of a control freak. And I’m not shy about tell you so. (See post My Roller-coaster Test) God knows this about me too well, and in order to work on my in this area he gave me three boys and two with ADHD.
I can’t sit here and write that I have this key truth figured out and don’t struggle with this truth to this day. Just like Jacob in Genesis 32:22-32, we often have to wrestle with God in order to be humbled and taught a few things. One thing I have learned and I'm sure Jacob did also is that when we wrestle with God we always walk away humbled. My wrestling matches with the Lord have gotten shorter over the years.
And that’s the goal for communicating this truth to my kids.
To remind them of who is in control and diminish the affects the sin of pride will have on their lives. I’ve had a lot of knocks in life because of my pride. Though it has been a great tool for growing my faith, if my kids can come to this understanding earlier in their life the fruit of their faith will be all the sweeter.
Because God is in control, we can trust him. Since he doesn’t make mistakes, we can rest in his control. Knowing this truth doesn’t rid us of the struggle, because control is a sin struggle all the way back to Adam and Eve.
Communicating this truth is a key way we battle anxiety with my kiddos, and a key truth we use to combat circumstances that just don’t seem to go right.
Most nights, or at least on the nights that anxiety and confusion is high, we have a little Q&A we go through.
I say, “God is” … Kids answer, “Holy”
God is... Kids answer, “Good” (Key truth for next week)
God is… Kids answer, “in Control”
God doesn’t make… “Mistakes.”
God always keeps… Kids answer, “his promises.”
“Because of these truths we can trust that God will work all things together for good. (Romans 8:28)
Many times, when our minds are clinging to control in the chaos of our circumstances we can’t think straight. We cling white knuckled to anything and everything, which often makes things worse. But when we relax our grip and remember who is in control, we can see things a little clearer, and walk faithfully forward, instead of being paralyzed by our fears.
Communicating this hard truth at a young age, is a precious gift to give our children.
Check out All Five Key Truths in this FREE PDF