Control has been a recurring theme in my life lately. Controlling governments. Controlling leaders. Controlling relationships. What is it that causes a person or entity to want to control? The answer could be complex, but I think it’s a mix of pride and insecurity. Nonconformity threatens their sense of power. So the solution is to coerce and control.

How I think about how different God is. Technically, he is the leader of all leaders. He has the actual right to control if he wanted to. And yet, he grants each individual the freedom to choose him or reject him. That is amazing humility – that the Almighty Creator would allow his own creation to reject him, if they so wanted. God would rather sincere rejection than unwilling submission.

God’s humility is a testament to his power and love. He doesn’t need our submission to be secure. He is secure in himself. He is free. Yet, with his freedom, he has chosen us, even risking rejection.

So, why do sinners reject God? I think it goes back to the thing about control. We don’t want to lose control. We don’t want to admit that there is a God above. We don’t want to surrender our freedom. We’re proud and insecure. We don’t trust Him. We choose to love our ego instead.

I think of the parable of the tenants. God chose to love us at the cost of his own Son. He did that even knowing that we would reject him, with us totally ignorant to the cost he bore. God doesn’t have pretentious, show-offy love like we do. His love is so unconditional yet humble. He wants the same love from us.

What will I do with the freedom of choice God has given me? I will choose Him. The cost? My pride and insecurity. I think this is what it means to “die to myself”. When he commands that, God is not asking for us to die to something good, but something bad – the sin, the pride, the ego, the control that actually destroys us and keeps us from knowing his love. In God’s love, I can let go of my pretentious “love”, which is actually just self-righteousness, and love as he loves – unconditionally and humbly. Why? Because in him, I am totally secure and free. And that’s real power.