Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. ESV.
Sorry to disappoint you if you haven’t yet discovered the fact that you are not in total control of your life. Yes you can control your response to life, but you cannot always control the outcome. Many have tried and not one has succeeded from beginning to end.
You did not choose the time and place nor parents of your birth. You most likely will not choose how and when you will exit this world. You may think suicide is your ability to control the outcome of when and where, but again not all who attempt succeed. Other people do have a say of what you do.
Professional sports is a good example. We look at the stats and determine who is the better team. Yet great teams have bad days and mediocre teams over-achieve. This is why we play the game. Everyday life is the same.
You may have a plan for life, but is everyone on board with it? Will the government cooperate and make it easy for you? Will the piano being thrown out of the 10th floor skyscraper window unbeknownst to you find its mark on top of your head? Will lightning strike the dry underbrush of your backyard preserve and burn 10,000 acres around you before being extinguished? Will the speeding car driven by an unknown drunk driver fail to stop at the intersection and meet you in your blind spot even though you are an excellent defensive driver?
Things happen in life that are unpredictable. You and I cannot control every event. Your odds of being struck by lightning are better than the odds of winning the Power Ball lottery. Yet will either ever occur in your lifetime? Yes it could happen. But is it something you can plan and control to happen?
The earlier you learn what you can control and what you cannot will make your life more enjoyable in the process. Yes you need to plan but also have alternative routes when events don’t work out as you anticipated. Yes you need to control your response to a situation. That is what maturity is all about. And yes you can choose which relationships you will nourish and which ones you will extend more grace toward. But more importantly, you could choose to follow the Rabbi’s Rabbi – Jesus Christ. He wants to share his life with you as you share yourself with him. It definitely makes the journey more adventurous, more enjoyable, and more favorable while we deal with the circumstances and unpredictable events life throws our way.
Rooting For You in Christ!
Dr. Mike
Encourager & Founder of
Vocational Leadership 360
Author of e-Books:
* Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
* Great Business Emulates a Good God
* Be Radical…Follow Christ!
* Simply The Messenger
* Unequally Married
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