First off, allow me to say, I think there is a little “control freak” in all of us.
We want to control our children, control others around them and control the situations that we face in life.
Many people with depression, anxiety, and stress-related issues have one thing in common: They spend a lot of time focusing on things that they can- not control.
If you think about it – there really truly isn’t a whole lot that we can control.
A lot of people today for better or worse could be considered “control freaks.” They desire to control everyone and every- thing around them!
They worry about what other people think, or they waste time trying to convince their partners, friends and business colleagues to change.
They are busy, but they don’t feel effective, and that’s because they’re putting their energy into the wrong places.
Rather than controlling their emotions, or their own actions – they’re always trying to control the environment — and everybody in it.
Joining a team means you have to give up some measure of control. After all, you cannot orchestrate everything that happens when you are only responsible for 10 percent of the outcome.
“Control freaks” believe that, with “enough effort and skill,” they can accomplish “anything.” They don’t believe in timing or in luck. They often say things like, “Failure isn’t an option,” and they’re “overly critical” of themselves when things don’t go as they planned.
Most control freaks believe they know “what is best” for everyone, and try to convince other people to do things differently. Whether they lecture, become aggressive, or manipulate things behind the scenes, the goal is to make other people “act a certain way.”
No one ever says, “You know what I like about him/her? He/She’s a control freak.” Control freaks “repel people” with demands and unsolicited advice. They can be a real turn off!
Rather than prepare themselves for the storm, control freaks try to prevent the storm from coming or from happening— even when they can’t. They waste time and energy hoping bad things won’t happen, because they doubt their ability to deal with hardship.
A “control freak” firmly believes if you want something done right, you’d better do it yourself.
They refuse to delegate tasks, because they’re convinced that doing so will ultimately require more of their time, since they’ll have to “fix” whatever mistakes someone else makes.
If they do delegate, they insist on micromanaging every step of the way.
For the record, being a “control freak” knows no gender. Controllers do not see themselves as controlling, but rather as being “right.”
The reason I bring this to you today is because of our gospel text for today.
If this text were to be re-written it might go something like this.
The kingdom of God is as if someone would purposefully plant seed into the ground and gently cover over them with the proper amounts of soil, lightly fertilize the ground, water and care for seeds. That same someone – would pray for sun, but not for scorching heat.
They would monitor the correct moisture content in the soil. The soil would be analyzed for appropriate nutrients. The sower knows why things grow.
The earth does not produce of itself, it is the sower who makes things happen. And when the harvest time has come – the credit goes to the sower for taking such extreme care.
It is all about the sower.
The harvest belongs to him. The kingdom would not come without the tedious and hard work of the sower.
We make things happen. We see that they happen. We follow through.
The Kingdom of God is also like the small mustard seed that grows into an actual bush. But it would not do so without the watchful care and concern of the person who sows the seed.
The Kingdom of God is totally dependent on me, it is all my doing. I am the chief mover and the shaker. I am the one who makes things happen.
I am sure God looks down and smiles upon me for all the good work I do for him.
If there is failure it is usually because of the miscalculations of others…or because, others let me down.
Try as I might, I am only one person. But we will get-ter-done!
Amen.