Reflections On Our Life in Jesus Christ

Today’s Bible Reading (from Biblegateway.com): Psalm 54-56; Romans 3
Friday’s: Psalm 57-59; Romans 4     Saturday’s: Psalm 60-62; Romans 5
Sunday’s: Psalm 63-65; Romans 6    Monday’s: Psalm 66-67; Romans 7

Since the Garden of Eden, humanity has struggled with the desire to control and it often hinders our relationship with God and others. The New York Times published a humorously telling perspective on this whole issue of control. It noted that we regularly push buttons on elevators, crosswalks, and thermostats that don’t change a thing, but they make us feel better. Since the enactment of the Americans With Disabilities Act in 1990, elevators must remain open long enough for anyone with crutches or a wheelchair to board. Only firefighters or maintenance workers with keys can make the door-close button work, but we push it anyway. The emergence of computer-controlled traffic signals years ago disabled virtually every urban crosswalk button. Many cities simply chose to leave them alone rather than spend millions of dollars removing them.  In 2010, ABC News reported that they only found one functioning crosswalk button in Austin, Texas; Gainesville, Florida; and Syracuse, New York.  Nonfunctioning thermostats are everywhere in public spaces and office buildings, but allowing people to push buttons or move dials gives us what psychologists call a sense of “perceived control.”  Having a fake thermostat reduces service calls by as much as 75% because the illusion of control makes people believe they are actually adjusting the climate.[1]

We like to be in control and often think we are, but in reality, we’re not.  The only One in charge has offered to take control of our life and forever improve it.

Best regards,
Mark Dillman
Minister, Airport Rd. Church of Christ

[1] Beaumont Enterprise, 10/30/16, pg. 13A.