Who is in charge?

You have seen it.  You may have even been party to it.

The scene: minding my own business, in the parking lot of the local super store.  I hear a woman screaming. As I look around, I see an adult running between the cars. Beyond being a little startled, and a tad uncomfortable - she had my attention (and the attention of a few dozen potential shoppers).

What would compel her to behave in such a way?

Then I understood.

A toddler was running between the parked cars and the mother was frantic. Stop! Stop! Come back here! Any loving parent would do the same. Scream. Chase. Yell. Apprehend. Scream again. Secure.

Who is the authority? No doubt - the parent. But in this situation, who was in charge? The child! Legally, the adult is the responsible authority, but in rebellion to the parent's instructions (and pleas and threats), the child is in charge until he is brought back under the control of the parent.

Now, who is the authority in your life? Ultimately, God is the supreme authority - whether you believe in Him, or not. If you are a Christian, you have already surrendered to the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.

But, who is in charge?

We talk a good game. We attend worship when something else does not take precedence. We serve when we can. We give. We pray. We read the Bible. We call Him our Father and declare ourselves His children.

But, who is in charge?

There appears to be a disconnect between what we say we believe and what we say we believe with our lives. If we are not following the Lord's instructions as recorded in the Bible, we are living by our own rules and "in charge".  Psalm 23 records some powerful claims for God's children: I will not lack, I will rest, I will be restored, I will fear no evil, I will be comforted, and I will be blessed.

The truth is simple.  In the same way a running toddler cannot experience the benefit and protection of a loving parent, I cannot experience the protection and provision of my Heavenly Father  if I am running from Him! Therefore, I must recognize Him as the authority in my life AND allow Him to be in charge of my day to day life.

Who is in charge in your life?

"The LORD is my shepherd (my "in charge" authority); I shall not want."  - Psalm 23:1