Control Premiums - Hopeless Love

In my life, there are many times when circumstances or situations have been so grave or so immense that the only sensible reaction that is plausible is to relinquish control and let go of the reigns. Futility can be hugely empowering; when the presence of choices or various courses of action exist it is easy to be consumed and find “hope” in that which we feel we are able to do. We shift reliance towards ability, and trust that we are both well equipped and capable of executing an action plan. However, when troubles grow beyond our ability and we are paralyzed in our efforts to dictate change, we begin to understand in a practical way a sense of hopelessness. Hopelessness not in the sense of pessimism or anticipation of less than ideal outcomes, but rather, hopelessness in the sense that there is truly nothing we can do, and to hope in ourselves or our ability would be utter folly.

We as people, regardless of our psychological predispositions, find comfort in positions of choice and positions where we are empowered to do something…and often, being able to do anything will suffice. When given the ability to act, we own a sense of control, we carry equity in our circumstances. As opposed to being a simple character in the plot, we get to write the script.

Now when the balance of power shifts beyond our grasp in life, we are still afforded much liberty, but as opposed to being proactive we become responsive. The choice of what to do is uprooted, and replanted in how to react. I believe when we examine the things in which we sense even an minute element of control, it is easy to conclude that our control is limited to that which is temporary and fleeting, and our realm of influence does not span past that which is finite. The situations in which we are hopeless in trying to dictate change are the situations of infinite significance in which we become subject to. No matter how hard we try, we are in a position of response, we cannot in these infinite situations, rewrite the rules.

For example, gravity is a constant force that all life on earth must recon with. Whether we choose to accept gravity or not is irrelevant, we can deny its existence, we can attempt to break free from its grasp, but escape is hopeless…we cannot simply avoid the gravitational physics because we do not approve of the parameters it naturally invokes. We can either live a life of disdain and rebellion against gravity, or we can choose to acknowledge the boundaries which healthily exist, and live within them.

In my spirituality and in a Christ-following life, there are many parameters we are given the ability to respond to. It is here that we may find many of the unwavering characteristics of God. His traits of love, sovereignty, goodness, holiness, and his justice (among others) are not contingent upon whether we choose to live by or acknowledge them, rather they simply are. They are unshakablee, they are unending, they are perfect, and they demand a response. Just as is the case with the force of gravity, the way we respond cannot change the nature of that which we respond to; our response predicates the way by we choose to live. Breaking free from the boundaries of the infinite is hopeless, instead we are given the choice to squirm restlessly in resistance or to rest in peace trusting the good nature of God towards us.

I know the word hopeless seems to be a bleak representation of a sanctified life, but it is not hopelessness presented as the absence of hope, it is hopelessness in the sense that we become so consumed by the infinite love, goodness, sovereignty, faithfulness, and holiness, that living by any other parameters not only become illogical but it becomes impossible. The phrase “hopelessly in love” has common place in the world of romance, hopeless love is not love that lacks hope for we know that love in fact is always hopeful, but instead it is love so deep, so true that it is inescapable. Hopeless love, is a love that consumes all that we are, it is love so powerful that we are hopeless to escape, and it is love so true that to do anything other than to live under its authority would be as illogical as senseless as trying to live a life in resistance to gravity.

The more I know my God personally, the more hopeless my love for him becomes. The more I see his goodness and provision, the more I am drawn to respond. With each sliver of his good good heart, I find myself at a place where my life must be radically changed to not only accept but thrive under the infinite, unwavering parameters of this good and perfectly loving God. Any other way would in fact be hopelessly insensible, how could I ever escape the long reach of perfect love? There are vast expanses of God’s love to be explored, and the more we search the more we find. The resurrection, and the provision of redemption invite us into relationship and into a life of freedom, a life of exploration, a life changed, a life in response through hopeless love.

Hopless...in a good way,

CP

http://chrispanoff.blogspot.com