Power Struggle

Sin is anything that separates us from God. And the desire to hang on to power over our own lives is usually the biggest barrier between us and God.

Submission implies wimpiness. Surrender is equated with defeat. Giving up control over our own lives, even if it is to God, is unpalatable to some. We realize we don’t have power over many things. So we struggle to maintain control over the few choices we do have. Like a toddler, we stubbornly insist on our way. We cling to our individual rights. Like a rebellious teen, we have adolescent power struggles with our Father in heaven: Why can’t you just support me and quit trying to control me?!”

God can’t help us as long as we insist on our own way. Imagine a 2-year-old who insists on wearing his super-man pajamas everywhere. There is only so much a parent can do to make this child look a little less ridiculous! Since this is harmless, most parents will humor the child and just go along with it. But when a teen asserts his independence in self-destructive ways, parents tend to be a bit less lenient.

Our Father, in heaven tries to protect us from self-destruction. Yet we put up barriers and only allow His input into certain areas of our lives. We insist on maintaining power over own lives, even when it’s to our own detriment.