Lord of My Life?

“O generation, see ye the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee?” (Jer 2:31 AV)

It is a dangerous thing to exercise the ability of self-determination apart from the LORD.  Israel got to the point they rejected God’s authority as found in His word and became a law unto themselves.  They no longer followed the word of God.  Rather, they followed their own law.  The motive was perception.  They saw submission as a fruitless endeavor (wilderness) and a place of no hope or insight (darkness).  There is a conflict of priorities.  There is a collision of goals.  Israel’s goals were of this world.  God’s priorities are always spiritual.  When values, goals, and thinking does not match the LORD’s, we become lords of our own lives.  But it never was because the word of God was a wilderness or darkness.

There are two reasons we would reject the will of God when searching for an answer.  We either received an answer we didn’t like, or the timing was taking too long.  In both cases, the wisdom of the word of God would be a wilderness or darkness.  Impatience or rebellion will cause any of us to become lord of our own lives.  If you are a parent, you have probably had a time or two like this with your teenage child.  He asks your advice or permission, and either you deny permission or ask for time to think about it.  Neither of these options are good to him, so he goes off and does what he wants to do anyway.  These occasions are so numerous, I cannot think of one of the top of my head.

Teenagers are not the only age group prone to this attitude.  We all are.  Once we realize we have the ability of self-determination (to some extent), or inclination is to be lord of our own destiny.  We want to make choices for ourselves.  We want to determine for ourselves.  We don’t want authority.  We reject wisdom and experience.  There is a large misunderstanding here.  God may allow us to make independent choices, but He does not allow us to escape the consequences of those choices.  The questions above are profound ones.  The LORD is asking us if there was ever a time He refused to guide us.  If not, then why do we think we would do a better job of being our own lord?