{"id":2929,"date":"2012-08-02T19:38:26","date_gmt":"2012-08-02T23:38:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/?p=2929"},"modified":"2012-08-02T19:38:26","modified_gmt":"2012-08-02T23:38:26","slug":"you-dont-control-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/08\/you-dont-control-me.html","title":{"rendered":"You don’t control me"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Inbred within us resides a desire to be in control of our own lives. \u00a0Often, when children are playing, \u00a0an argument will begin or end with one child yelling, \u00a0\u201dYou don\u2019t control me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prisons are designed to control people. \u00a0They are the ultimate punishment in an attempt to bring someone under submission to the will of to society\u2019s rules and regulations. \u00a0Often in the Scriptures, a Biblical hero will find himself in jail.<\/p>\n

Whether the punishment is justified or unjustified, there are two important things that no one can control in your life. \u00a0They are<\/p>\n

1. \u00a0What we think, and<\/p>\n

2. \u00a0Who we worship.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>While these two areas will determine a great deal about me, I am totally in control of both of them. \u00a0No matter how dominate another person may be, he or she will never be able to totally control my thought life or before whom I bow as my God.<\/p>\n

Much of how we think is determined by our past. \u00a0Years ago, my friend, Jesse, and I were driving along the ocean. \u00a0One condo was beautifully landscaped. \u00a0I commented about the beautiful flowers and lush flora. \u00a0Jesse and her husband had been the manger of a large condo complex for about five years. \u00a0She looked at me as though I had lost mind. \u00a0\u201dIt looks a lot of work to me,\u201d she said in an angry, almost resentful tone. \u00a0Her job at the condo had been to keep the landscaping weeded and blooming. \u00a0For me, the rich and colorful garden that surrounded the buildings were exquisite. \u00a0For Jesse, they brought back long hours of never-ending work under the unrelenting Florida sun.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Yet, the past is not always an accurate predictor of outcomes. \u00a0We have all heard of people who lived plush lives, handed every convenience who turn to passion or crime as a mere diversion. \u00a0Yet, another man or woman will come from the most horrid circumstances. \u00a0These mistreatments only serve to spur ahead the resolve of this person to live godly and holy lives of kindness, \u00a0generosity and love.<\/p>\n

At this point, I believe who we worship becomes a determining factor. \u00a0If our worship is wrapped in the flimsy gauze of self-love, our thinking will be distorted and shallow. \u00a0However, if we dig deep into the wells of true godly purity, our whole being will become reseviors of humility, honor and mercy. \u00a0A good friend came from a distressful childhood. \u00a0Unwanted and despised by her mother, she struggles today battling bouts of overwhelming depression. \u00a0Nevertheless, this woman is a beacon of love and joy for all who know her because of her determination to overcome her deficiencies with a desperate love for Jesus.<\/p>\n

What we think and who we worship becomes who we are. \u00a0Who is your God? \u00a0And what are your routine thoughts? \u00a0How much would replacing godly thoughts change your life?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Inbred within us resides a desire to be in control of our own lives. \u00a0Often, when children are playing, \u00a0an argument will begin or end with one child yelling, \u00a0\u201dYou don\u2019t control me.\u201d Prisons are designed to control people. \u00a0They are the ultimate punishment in an attempt to bring someone under submission to the will…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,5,20,40,186,49,16,8,4,41],"tags":[21,688,696,448,699,715,701,691,6,687,700],"class_list":["post-2929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-autism-spectrum","category-christianity","category-church","category-faith","category-hope","category-inspiration","category-intellectual-disability","category-mentally-challenged-community","category-simple-truths","category-spirituality","tag-christian","tag-christianity","tag-church","tag-control","tag-faith","tag-hope","tag-inspiration","tag-inspirational","tag-simple-scriptural-truths","tag-simple-truths","tag-spirituality"],"yoast_head":"\nYou don't control me - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/08\/you-dont-control-me.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"You don't control me - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Inbred within us resides a desire to be in control of our own lives. \u00a0Often, when children are playing, \u00a0an argument will begin or end with one child yelling, \u00a0\u201dYou don\u2019t control me.\u201d Prisons are designed to control people. \u00a0They are the ultimate punishment in an attempt to bring someone under submission to the will…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/08\/you-dont-control-me.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-08-02T23:38:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/specialgathering.files.wordpress.com\/2012\/08\/children-arguing.jpg?w=141&h=104\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Linda G. Howard\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"You don't control me - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/08\/you-dont-control-me.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"You don't control me - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith","og_description":"Inbred within us resides a desire to be in control of our own lives. \u00a0Often, when children are playing, \u00a0an argument will begin or end with one child yelling, \u00a0\u201dYou don\u2019t control me.\u201d Prisons are designed to control people. \u00a0They are the ultimate punishment in an attempt to bring someone under submission to the will…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/08\/you-dont-control-me.html","og_site_name":"A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith","article_published_time":"2012-08-02T23:38:26+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/specialgathering.files.wordpress.com\/2012\/08\/children-arguing.jpg?w=141&h=104"}],"author":"Linda G. 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