What I Can Control

What I can Control: Change the Channel

My words, my tone of voice, my attitude, and my values: All of these are things within my own control which means (unless I allow it) no one else gets to decide my mindset and my beliefs everyday. Since March of 2020 (pandemic started) conversations full of hate, criticism and blame have heightened anxiety across the board. With constant negativity in the news and being bombarded with opposing views, I think we have all found it hard to focus on what we do have right in front of us. We can not control the news stations or censor the things that we don’t agree with; but we can change the channel.

We might all be watching T.V. as a nation, but we don’t have to be watching the same channel. So your neighbor next door stays glued to the station with hourly c0vid updates and allows her fears to unfairly judge the way the rest of the world is living; you don’t have to watch that channel. Or maybe the guy across the street is living in denial so he watches his favorite show from 1989 on repeat; you don’t have to watch that channel.

As a christian, we should be viewing the world through God’s truth, not the media’s skewed interpretation. The Bible tells us to not even lean on our own understanding, why are we buying into the opinions of others? The Bible tells us to trust in HIM, not facebook. I know how easy it is to look around at all of the darkness the world is experiencing and feel like you have no control; but that’s what the world wants us to feel. God wants us to be at peace. So, what can we control?

We can control our words and our tone of voice. The way we speak (to ourselves and others) matters. We can choose to speak life and kindness. We can choose to life up and honor. When the rest of the world is choosing ridicule and judgement, choose love and understanding. Our words may not have the power to change the world, but they do have the power to change our world.

We can control our attitude and our values. We can choose to have an attitude of gratitude and be thankful for everything God has done for us. That reminds me of my last semester in college. My oldest daughter was 18 months old at the time and I had never been away from her for more than a few hours at a time. I was finishing my last semester with an internship at a tiny school. I had to be there at 7:30am and left at 3:30pm. For several weeks I was negative about being away from my daughter. I hated it. I decided I was going to find one positive thing about every day and choose to focus on that positive every time I felt frustrated. I remember admiring the sunrise one morning on my way to that tiny school. I thought,” Ok, if nothing else, I can remember this beauty all day and be thankful for God’s masterpiece.” It sounds petty and insignificant, but I would think of the sunrise when I would feel negative or frustrated. It was a simple reminder that even in our frustration, their is beauty.

We can control what we value. We don’t have to value the opinions of strangers on the internet. We have the authority to value everything that God says. God says it is finished. God says to love your neighbor. God says I am chosen and I am worthy. We have the power to choose to value God’s word.

If you’re in a season of life that is hard, or dark, or just not where you want to be, focus on what you CAN control and talk to God about the rest. He is listening.