Here’s a list of the things that I’ve found have controlled me at some point in my life.
Money
Seemingly obvious, money does influence many people, especially those in decision-making positions of leadership. When Jesus said that we can’t serve both God and mammon (money), He wasn’t kidding. We do stupid things for a couple bucks.
Parents
No matter what age you are, many would have a hard time disappointing Mom and Dad over something small. You might even hear your Mom’s voice in your head before making an important decision. Those who labored to raise us have tremendous weight in our lives. And some of us never grow up because of it.
Relationships
What would you do for love? The truth is, we’re all looking for love and meaningful relationships in life. And when we find them, we don’t want to fail them. And sometimes, we allow ourselves to be ruled by a few significant relationships in life. You might even have made a few important choices based on what a couple of these friends were doing at the time. Relationships can be a great thing in our life. It can also be the source of the biggest pain we can ever know in this world. And when we get disappointed by one of them, it can be tramatic.
My Past
This ties in with the last one a little. You let your past control who you become. History does have a way of repeating and we often end up making the same mistakes more than once in life. Some people have a really difficult time letting go of what the past was. And I’m not just talking about past failures or pains. I’m also talking about success. We can really fixate on significant moments in our past to define who we become in life. This is not good. But it’s a reality.
Social Acceptance
Want to disappoint everyone? Try winning the approval of everyone and you’ve found the secret. That’s right. Seeking approval from everyone will eventually lead to disappointment and despair. So, what can we do? Disappoint a few people just to win a few others’ approval? Maybe. But then you’ll feel guilty for letting the others down. It’s a miserable cycle.
Anger & Emotions
It’s truly amazing and disturbing to see the world events escalate based on a few people’s angry emotions. Anger does something to a person that can easily become contagious and spread like a wildfire. Get a bunch of angry people together, and watch a riot break out. One decision rooted in anger can change the course of your life or someone else’s life in an instant. Do not let your anger rule you.
The Spirit
There’s only one thing that I’ve allowed to control me that has produced strong, life-changing, positive results in my life. Namely, surrendering to the Holy Spirit. Every other thing on this list has left me feeling more insecure, lonely, inadequate or… angry. The Spirit works from the inside-out. Most everything else works opposite that to try to change our circumstances. And none are permanent changes. The others are cyclical and temporary. Learn more about the Spirit in your life today.
