God's Complete Control

MARILYN JANE RIMMINGTON

There are many times when it is desirable to lend a helping hand. A kind word of encouragement, a tender smile, a friendly gesture, can often help lighten another's burden. But we need to learn to distinguish between two very different responses: needful, loving assistance and a fearful, false sense of responsibility that stems from a lack of understanding of God. The latter implies distrust of God's ability to care for His creation.

This false sense makes us think officiously that it is we who must bring about a change in some way or show another his need to change. If we honestly search our motives on these occasions, we may find self-righteousness to be a motivating factor.

In Job we read, "The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger."^{Job 17:9;} Surely a sense of care or management considered as a personal possession would be a phase of self-righteousness and not the "clean hands," or true righteousness, that cognizes all care, control, and direction as emanating from God.