The Doorway We Choose is in Our Control

Oh. My. Goodness. I’m so done to listening to all the rancor that goes on in social media and the tv/online news reporting agencies. Honestly, I don’t understand how people can be so caught up in such negativity as an investigator or a reporter. How their minds must swirl with “He said. She said. They did.” How they might have trouble sleeping at night as they conjure up ways to get the next most negative news they can find. Oh, I know, in many cases – some look for great, upbeat, and positive news angles. But, in either case -- that’s the doorway they chose to walk through. They chose the good – the bad – or the ugly door and they live on that side of the doorway daily.

Now, that I’m back into my real world at home where I daily make decisions about how my day will go, I’m discovering what doorway I should walk through at any given time -- meditating on what’s good or what’s negative. I’m finding myself watching some social media videos and posts to bring me up to speed on what’s going on in our world. But, I keep hearing these words: “Choose you this day who you will serve” and I know it is about lending my eyes and my ears to the latest gossip and news or lending my eyes and ears to what God wants me to see and hear in this day. Remember St. Paul’s spiritually-elevating words in Philippians 4:8? “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, THINK on these things.” That, my friends, is a great doorway to walk and think through.

Joshua in the Old Testament gave powerful words of choice to the Israelites right after they conquered and took Canaan. He put a choice before them -- whether they would serve the Lord or not. “Choose this day whom you will serve…..as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15. The same choice is set before each one of us each day. The choice is up to us. God will not coerce us into serving Him. It is our daily responsibility to choose the doorways of life. Jesus came to give us an abundant life – but if we choose to listen to lies and the evil-workings of the enemy, we’re choosing death instead of life.

Proverbs 4:23 says: “More than anything guard, protect your mind, for life flows from it.” We can control the doorway to what we’re going to allow in. We can dwell on every negative thing people have said, every derogatory comment, or we can choose to delete it and dwell on what God says about us.

Let's shut the door on the enemy of our souls who keeps trying to get us to choose the doorway of defeat, fear, and anger! We are winners -- the enemy is the loser! Let’s shut the door on the enemy and choose the doorway of abundant life!

Controlling What I Can and Cannot

I felt a tug at the edge of my shirt and looked down to identify the perpetrator. He’s black and white with horns that could really hurt if he chose to wallop e." me with them. His name is Oreo and he has a personality of grit and determination and lets his peers know he’s the boss. I smile at him, and sometimes use my parental voice with him because he’s being way too possessive of his “stuff”. I give him a handful of feed, “Okay, Oreo, here’s a snack.” He gobbles straight from my hand, slobbery and delighted. He is one of five very tame and sometimes ornery goats at the Wuerch ranch.

Later, outside the domain of the longhorn, Vamanos, I toss him some hay over the fence and scoot his bowl of feed under the fence. I imagine the beast on the other side of that fence grabbing the edge of my clothing too. The scene that unfolds in my mind is entirely different. I shiver and salute him with respect as I think: “You stay there and I’ll stay right here!"

In many ways, this is how we define control. We are unafraid of what we believe we can control. The pushy goat. The Facebook posts we have done a thousand times. A conversation with close friends. Saying “No” to the third “Oreo” cookie. But our hearts speed up at the prospect of what we cannot control. The longhorn that swings those 6-feet horns. A recent health diagnosis. The weather and the outdoor wedding that is planned. The success of the fundraiser we are heading up.

Here is what scripture says about control. Proverbs 16:32 “Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.” I discovered that the only type of control we are given is quite possibly the most challenging. It’s self-control. Yikes! Controlling ourselves is often harder to control than the goat OR the longhorn. Here’s how to explain self-control. We can’t control our friendships, but we can control what kind of friend we will be. We can’t control our marriage but we can control what kind of wife or husband we are. We can’t control our children but we can control what kind of parent we will be. We can’t control our career but we can control the sort of employee we are to our company.

When we actually start living this way, the fear starts to diminish. In other words, taking the next step of obedience is the equivalent of putting the fence between us and the longhorn. What we fear might still be present, but it can no longer smack us with his horns. (And, I know what that feels like! Been there – felt that, and got the bruise!)

The key to self-control is not inward, but upward. Because if God is in us, self-control causes us to be braver, stronger, and wiser than what we ever feared. I read this quote: "If you could kick the person responsible for most of your troubles, you wouldn’t be able to sit down for weeks." So let’s start with ourselves. The whole issue of self-control starts with self, so let's shoulder up and say: “Self, we can do this with God’s help!”

Jesus, Take the Wheel

Have you ever felt like you're in one of those hamster wheels going round and round, but getting no where at all? Sort of like one of those stationary bikes -- you pedal and pedal, but you don't move forward, even an inch! At this earth-shaking moment, you have an epiphany, and you realize you have two choices: keep going in circles or stop and ask for directions. It's our nature to want to be in control and we try to convince ourselves that if we just keep trying, that we’ll eventually find our way. But if we’re ever going to progress any further on this "life" journey, we must come to a screeching halt, let go of the controls, and consult the ONLY ONE WHO truly knows the way. Circumstances can take us by surprise. Sometimes life just deals us a bad hand. So, how do we survive through those times? We get out of the driver’s seat. Our Heavenly Father doesn’t ask us, or even wants us to know where tomorrow’s turn is. All He asks is that we hand over the wheel to Him. And, one thing's for sure -- He WILL NEVER steer us wrong. Let's get out of the driver's seat, get comfy in the passenger seat, and enjoy the trip! It certainly promises to be over-the-top exciting.....and most importantly, eternal! Jesus....take over....take control.....Jesus take the wheel!