On Control

I have a sign that says, "God is in Control" in my classroom. I haven't hung it up for a few years, because I was just having a hard time imagining what, exactly, I'm saying when I say that. Is God at a big panel, pressing buttons, pulling levers. No, I don't think that can be true. We have this big, mechanistic view of God being at a big computer. But we don't control every aspect of the computers we work on. I don't really understand how these words get from my computer screen to yours. I use it anyway. A lot of what the computer does is automatic, even though I am involved with the computer. It would do nothing on its own. I wonder if that's what it means for God to be in control.

One of the advantages of teaching the same Bible curriculum to the same grade, grade 3, for the past 8 years, is you really get to know those parts of the Bible REALLY well! I taught the Old Testament, Genesis to about Joshua, every year. I really began to think about this idea of control especially as I wandered through the wilderness for forty years with the Israelites. I wandered with them through 8 different classes of grade 3 students and I began to understand something. It came to me in a flash one day. Something that should have been obvious, but wasn't until I went through the stories over and over again: God was not controlling the Israelites at all. He only gives choices.

I love the line God gives Bruce in the movie, Bruce Almighty. God is allowing Bruce to have His powers for a certain amount of time and gives him the ground rules. The big rule is: "Don't mess with free will!"

That's it, exactly! Throughout the whole Bible, God is stepping back and letting people make choices - to choose. This really changed how I saw my classroom. I don't 'control' the class, in fact I have come to despise that word in reference to human beings. I can't think of any good that has ever come from controlling people at any time in history. In fact, I can only think of evil coming from attempts at control. I'm involved with my class - I offer choices.

So, when someone asks me, when the kids are being annoying, wild, or whatever, "Can't you control those kids?" I really, honestly, have to say "NO!" As for the sign in my classroom? I still have it up, because it makes me think. I realized that even though the kids may not read everything I put up, I DO! And I need sayings, quotes, etc, to catch my eye and make me think carefully about what I believe. Is God in control? Somehow, I would say, Yes, He is, but God don't make no puppets, either!