Out of Control

Many in our world are running after power and control. From rulers of nations to overseers of households, we don’t like things that are unpredictable or outside of our control. And yet even in our own lives there is much we cannot do. Henri Nouwen wrote in The Inner Voice of Love:

“There are places in you where you are completely powerless. You so much want to heal yourself, fight your temptations, and stay in control. But you cannot do it yourself… Your willingness to let go of your desire to control your life reveals a certain trust. The more you relinquish your stubborn need to maintain power, the more you will get in touch with the One who has the power to heal and guide you. And the more you get in touch with that divine power, the easier it will be to confess to yourself and to others your basic powerlessness” (27).

God never intended for us to be self-sufficient. We were made to fulfill different roles on earth, and thus we need one another for basic survival. And we were made for relationships, so we need to give and receive love. And above all this, we need God, our Creator and Sustainer, to maintain our very existence. Jesus said to His disciples:

“And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? … But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith!” (Luke 12:25, 28).

We can’t even grow a tomato apart from God, much less control the events of our lives or the actions of others. Warren Wiersbe has a short book on John 15 titled Abide. He notes:

“The Father often has to remind us that we are branches and not the Vine itself. He permits us to go through circumstances that bring out our weakness and His strength. He repeatedly teaches us, ‘apart from me, you can do nothing’ (Jn. 15:5).”

It’s tempting to think that we have more control than we actually do, but it doesn’t take much to derail our plans. A doctor’s diagnosis, a reckless driver, a temperamental coworker, an unexpected flood, “the best laid schemes of mouse and men go oft awry” (Robert Burns).

In each and every situation, our learned response should be to turn to the One who is omniscient and omnipotent, and trust that He will sustain us to His determined end. Nouwen wrote, “Be quiet, acknowledge your powerlessness, and have faith that one day you will know how much you have received” (28).

“I welcome everything that comes to me today, because I know it’s for my healing.

I welcome all thoughts, feelings, emotions, persons, situations, and conditions.

I let go of my desire for power and control.

I let go of my desire for affection, esteem, approval, and pleasure.

I let go of my desire for survival and security.

I let go of my desire to change any situation, condition, person, or myself.

I open to the love and presence of God and God’s action within. Amen.”

–Thomas Keating

“For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men… Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Cor. 1:25, 31).

© 2025 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

The Eyes Have It

The subject of social media and artificial intelligence has come up on recent episodes in two different podcasts that I listen to. (Links are below.) In both cases, they warned of the increasing relational disconnect that we are experiencing. We are made for connection with other people. One of the first skills we learned as infants was to make eye contact with our parents. And before long, we learned how to follow someone else’s gaze to see what they were looking at. Sight, sound, and touch are vital to our development as children and our health as adults. Those with visual or auditory deficits rely on their other senses even more. (Imagine if Helen Keller had never had Anne Sullivan to learn from.) It has long been known that infants don’t thrive if they are kept isolated or ignored in their cribs.

I watched a behind the scenes clip from a favorite PBS drama, and was a little surprised to hear one of the directors say that he prefers real film for close-up scenes because the digital cameras somehow lose the sparkle in the eyes. Actors look less human simply by using digital technology.

Why is it that we have accepted so readily this disembodied life that technology facilitates? Why is it so easy for us to self-isolate and pull away from small groups and corporate worship? I believe this is one of the great deceptions foisted on us by the enemy of our souls, that screens are an acceptable alternative to life together. It’s ironic that we turn from the “one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5) and we turn to media that is neither god nor man.

When God created the world, He quickly proclaimed, “It is not good that the man should be alone” (Gen. 2:18). He wasn’t referring just to marriage, but to relationships with others as well. Apparently, it was also a regular practice for God Himself to show up in the Garden of Eden and talk with Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:8). Then in the turning point of the biblical narrative, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Though there were written Scriptures, the incarnation was essential because God is a relational being. He could have created some impersonal method of salvation, but that wasn’t good enough for His plan. He wasn’t just saving people from their sin and its consequences. He was saving them to relationship with Him for eternity. And not just with Him, but with all of His children by faith.

I have a suspicion that in the new heavens and new earth, there’s going to be a lot less reliance on technology and a lot more relational interaction, because that is how God designed us. My local grocery store just installed several self-checkouts, despite the fact that they’d tried once before and no one used them. Even though I’m not a terribly social person, I want to interact with real cashiers and at least try to share a smile with them and thank them for their work.

Facebook seems to think that all I need in life is more videos of pandas rolling down hills, and ideas for new Lego builds. But what I need, and what I think we all need, are reminders that there are real people who will look us in the eye and actually see us for who we are. We need that in our daily lives, at work or school, running errands, and especially through our local churches as we connect with one another and worship God together.

Technology can sometimes help to keep lines of communication open (though it can also hurt too), but screens can never replace relationships with real people. Let’s not let them.

“For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them” (Matt. 13:14, quoting Isaiah 6:9-10).

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Russell Moore interview with Nicholas Carr- “Building Attention in a Digital Age”

Geoff Holsclaw interview with Joshua Cocanye- “Why We Gather: The Neuroscience Behind Corporate Worship”

The Life of Helen Keller film segment

© 2025 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.