Illusion of Control or Trust in a higher Power

Lately, I have been through many trials and I have watched my world be dumped up on end and shaken like a snow globe –feeing like a bystander watching all of the pieces fly around. This has been a very real and sobering realization, in that, I have been reminded of my own inability to control life or its events.  In light of this realization, I have come to deepen my understanding of my desperate need for Jesus in my life. He has an amazing way of bringing calm to the storm, clarity to thought and the reason for picking up the pieces and going forward. Often times, I think it’s very difficult to endure hardships because they make us come face to face with our own inability to solve our own problems and come to grips with our own humanity. I have learned that these are divine opportunities to grow and transcend where I am to become who I long to be. 

This got me thinking…..

I came across the below quote as I was giving some thought to what it actually means to be “religious” in the face of difficulty. As usual, I am curious about what others would say about my view and outlook on life. I like to look at many different perspectives in hopes that I can better understand and relate to the world around me.

 “Religion is the right of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of spiritless conditions. It is the opium of the people… To abolish religion as the illusory happiness of the people is to demand their real happiness.” Karl Marx

 

In my paragraph above, I was exploring the idea of actually coming face to face with the truly difficult aspects of life.  Taking it a step further and actually allowing God to use the circumstances to make me into the person He designed me to be. There is a world of good that can come through self reflection. In this self help age, is self reflection and actualization in its self truly enough to influence a lasting impact for change? Do we on our own possess that much power? What can we really control in life?  Can we control our own health, our last breath, who will like us, hate us or love us, and what will happen to us when we step out into the ever changing world around us… etc? We don’t even know if we will wake up tomorrow. To abolish the “illusory happiness” as the above quote suggests is to live life the way you deem fit without control over anything. So the question boils down to which group is truly living in “illusionary happiness”? Those who feel they are in control of their own life but have no actual control of anything or those who trust in God, the higher power, to be their guide? You be the judge.