Values Quotes – Vincent McNabb on Control

Todays quote is from Vincent McNabb, an Irish scholar and priest who was very active in evangelism and apologetics in London, England.

An insightful quote from McNabb is:
“Hope is some extraordinary spiritual grace that God gives us to control our fears, not to oust them.”

What a fascinating way to look at the value of control.

As a differentiating value, Control means power to direct or determine; constraint or restraint.

How often do we as humans seek to control our own little world, including eliminating all our fears? We create routines to ensure predictability. We put safety mechanisms in place to protect us from bad stuff happening. And we even rely on prayer as though it’s the final layer of protection.

Yet, bad stuff happens to good people – including us. It’s impossible to eliminate all fears. We just need to control them.

And the way to do that is by embracing the hope that God gives us through His son, Jesus Christ. As Paul wrote to the Romans “Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

What better way to feel “in control” than by relying on the love of God!

 

Today’s value was selected from the “Effectiveness-Influence” category, based on the e-book Developing Your Differentiating Values.