Let’s face it, when it comes to thinking about ourselves, we like to think that we’re in charge of our lives. After all, we have 86 billion brain cells (some have less) that are perfectly capable of directing our thoughts and actions. But wait. Who made those brain cells, and all of our other cells for that matter?
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” [Psalm 139:13]
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;…” [Jeremiah 1:5a,b]
It can be difficult to believe, as freedom-loving people living in the greatest country in the history of the world, that we are not actually in charge of everything. But the wise and the discerning know that there is One who is really in charge:
“Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” [Isaiah 64:8]
Diving into this verse (one of my favorite activities), we can conclude that we all start life as a non-descript lump of clay. We can’t form ourselves into something, we have to depend on the Potter to do that. Tragically, there are millions of poor souls who give no regard to the Potter and go to their grave thinking they should be in charge, therefore they are in charge. Isn’t it a better course of action to yield, every day, to the Potter:
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” [Ephesians 2:10]
We all know someone who rejects God and thinks they are hot stuff. With that attitude, they will be plenty hot soon enough. We have to help them.