“For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Genesis 3:5 NKJV.
For the Christian believers, our story began in the Garden of Eden. God created a perfect world for us, a paradise for the people of God. And, He walked among His creation daily: no sin, no diseases or death, and no hatred between Creator and creation existed in the garden. Also, shame did not exist within this perfect world. Additionally, I believe we get an early glimpse of our heavenly home in Genesis’s description of this paradise.
God Complex
So what happened? How did our world become so full of chaos and evil? Sin entered when the serpent promised Adam and Eve they would become like God. And from that day forward, we sought to become god-like. We craved the power to control our lives and everything around us. But, only God has that power. Unfortunately, pride and ego still drove some to try to wrestle with God causing more sin.
Satan’s influence caused Adam and Eve to sacrifice the grandeur of the garden for a lie. Satan promised them complete knowledge of good and evil. But, instead of being satisfied with living in a world created by God, they strived to become gods themselves. Unfortunately, the devil’s lies still pretend to offer us the opportunity to see and understand everything hidden, and we fall for the lie time and time again.
God Provides a Way
From Genesis 4 – to the end of the Bible, God gives us the means to escape these lies. We find God giving the laws and commandments in the Old Testament to encourage His people to live Godly lives in the way God intended. And in the New Testament, God sends us Jesus, His Son, to take our sins upon Himself. All we need to do in return is to believe. But, many still chose lies over the truth.
So, how do we change the situations around us? An excellent place to start is with 2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV; “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” So, call on the Lord as humble servants and turn away from sin. Turn to the God and acknowledge Him as sovereign Lord. And as we do so, we give up our desire to be god-like.
8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-9 NKJV
Give Him Control
Control is an illusion that Satan perpetuates, so give up seeking it and let Christ rule in our hearts. God knows what He’s doing. Trust that His thinking is different, and He sees the whole picture, so He better understands what is best for us. Then, despite what we see happening around us, we can allow God to govern our lives.
Prayer
Dear God,
We confess our need for you today. We know that you work on behalf of those you love. Forgive us for trying to fix our situations all on our own. Forgive us for running in all directions and spinning our wheels to find help when real help and healing come only from You. Forgive us for forgetting how much we need you. Thank you that you can do far more than we could ever imagine. We reach out to you and know that you are restoring and redeeming every place of difficulty and battle for your greater glory. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Wow – God-complex is the perfect description for our condition. “You shall be as God.” And if I’m honest, even though I would never say that’s what I want, my actions and motive to try to control communicate exactly that. Sigh.
And I think we are all infected by this disease and it causes us to sin as we try to achieve it. Thanks Ava and God bless.
Well said Ms. Yvonne. I’m grateful that God created mankind with free will as it reminds me that His love and His grace is not cheap. To earn it, we must be willing to trade it all for His. Thank you for this wonderful reminder that we all have a choice to make each day.
Thanks JD. I really appreciate your thoughts and comments. God bless.
Yvonne, what a great message! I’m thankful that I don’t have to be in control. God is in control and I find peace in knowing His timing is best.
Thanks Melissa. Me too. God bless.
Thank you for sharing this explanation of what went wrong in the big story of our world and what can still go wrong in our own personal stories. We when we seek to be god of our own lives, we will lose everything our lives were meant to be.
Amen Janet. We must allow God to rule in our lives. God bless.
Control is so attractive, isn’t it? But when we align our thinking with God’s higher ways, we realize how beautifully freeing it is to release the illusion of control. Thank you, Yvonne.
You are right, control is attractive but such an illusion. I pray for God always to guard our hearts and minds from these illusions. God bless Annie
I bet I fall into the enemies trap more than I would like to admit. Great message.
Thanks Jennifer. I know I fall into more often than I wish. God bless.
Amen, AMEN. Control (and knowledge, and power) are all illusions. God is sovereign, and any attempt I might make or aspiration I might have to be anything like Him is wishful and wrong. I am lucky and blessed God loves me, but I am truthfully nothing without Him.
So much truth in your words Jessica. I too am nothing without Christ. Blessings
Our attempts to constantly be in control of everything are definitely proof of our God-complex. We still think we can be in control. This is the illusion we battle all our lives.
I battle the desire to be in control more than I like to admit. Thank goodness, God provides a way — as he always has and always will.
Amen Candyce. We all do it too. Thank goodness God loves us and forgives us.
Thank you for such a clear gospel presentation. I am so grateful that giving up my control allows Him to take control!
Amen. He does a much better job than I can too. Thanks Sylvia and God bless.
I, too, believe we got a glimpse of Heaven in the Garden, a place where Adam and Eve walked and talked with God in pure fellowship. How messed up we’ve become since sin entered the hearts of mankind. Even us Christians don’t know sometimes when our Christianity leaves a bad taste in the mouths of people who seek to fill the void in their hearts that only God can fill. Thank you for your prayer at the end. May God use and perfect us.
We are a messed up group of people. May the Lord help us. Amen. Thanks Stephen
Powerful words, Yvonne. I like how you describe God as complex and control as an illusion from the enemy. We never have control and we were never meant to have control. It belongs to God Almighty and Him alone.
Amen Karen. Yet so many of us struggle with wrestling God for control. I pray we learn someday. Blessings
Yvonne, thank you for an important post to shine light on the control we often seek and illuminate Truth: “Control is an illusion that Satan perpetuates, so give up seeking it and let Christ rule in our hearts. God knows what He’s doing.”
I so agree Jeannie. Only our Lord has control. Blessings