Locus of Control

In May 2009, I begun my MDiv at Andrews. I came  excited, expectant and full of optimism.

I battled classes from Aleph through to Omega. From Mabul to Timelessness. I was stretched beyond my physical, emotional capacities at times. But I had great friends, professors, and I didn’t snap. 107 credit hours, and by the grace of Jesus, I stand on the cusp of completion.

Some of the teachers that I initially dismissed as being too simplistic taught me some of my most important lessons. The ones that could exegete a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma  left me with wide eyed wonder, but I can’t repeat much of the material from their classes.

One of the most important lessons that I learnt is what is termed the Locus of Control. This term says that as the environment around you changes, you can either attribute success and failure to things you have control over, or to forces outside your influence. The orientation we choose has a bearing on our long-term success. 

Sometimes I chose to blame professors [for the grade I didn’t like] the awesome Michigan snow [for making me late, even though I left my house with exactly 37 seconds to spare] or sneaky deadlines [for making me pull an all nighter].

At times I neglected things within my own control, and then got eaten alive by my circumstances outside of my control. God’s grace is a very soothing balm, and so I finish full of excitement, expectation and optimism for the blank canvass of my future! And furthermore my biblical locus trumpets victory.

NIV – 1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.