We can’t always control our circumstances, but we can control our response. We can cry out to the Lord and point others to Jesus, knowing we don’t have to worry about tomorrow because He is in control.

I sat alone in the psychiatric hospital, sad and discouraged. After a shocking family loss, I was devastated and struggling with my mental health. I didn’t know when I’d get discharged or what the future would hold.

This was particularly challenging. As a Type A, firstborn girl, I loved being in control. My calendar was color-coded, and I wasn’t very flexible with changes. I wouldn’t call myself a control freak, of course; I used softer words like organized or well-prepared.

But spending time in that hospital made me rethink my priorities. Being out of control was uncomfortable and scary. I had no calendar or cellphone to keep me on track for the week.

Yet during that time, the Lord taught me an important lesson.

The Illusion of Control

I struggled with control because I wanted to manage every detail. If something was unplanned, I worried. Yet Jesus commands us to “not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matt. 6:34).

This was hard to put into practice.

At the hospital, the only activities we had were mealtimes, rehab, and sporadic visits with case workers. Although I didn’t have my calendar, I knew I was missing personal events, and without my cellphone, I couldn’t keep my mind busy.

One morning I walked through the halls, peering through various rooms. I noticed a small library and picked out a blue NASB Bible. Although everything around me was uncertain, I knew God’s Word would provide comfort.

Demonstrating Self-Control

When I think about what it means to be in control, I’m reminded of Joseph’s story. Despite being sold into slavery and imprisoned, Joseph surrendered control to God. In Genesis 43, we read that Joseph was overwhelmed by emotion after seeing his brother Benjamin after many years. Instead of lashing out in anger, however, he controlled himself (vv. 31–32).

Later, in Genesis 45:1, Joseph struggled to control himself when he saw all his brothers, who had mistreated him. Although Joseph did express his emotions, he also treated his brothers with kindness. This was a tense moment with others standing by, so he asked everyone to leave and wept so loudly that the Egyptians and the household of Pharaoh heard his cries.

As a powerful ruler, Joseph could have handled the situation with his brothers differently. Often, when there is something wrong, we want to get angry and lash out at others. Joseph did the opposite. He told them not to be grieved or angry, then pointed to the sovereignty and plan of God, which preserved his life (Gen. 45:5). When unfavorable circumstances arise in our lives, we can give our emotions to God and treat others, even unkind people, with self-control. Joseph later led Egypt safely through the seven-year famine, ultimately saving both his family and the nation. No matter how challenging our circumstances may seem, God is in control.

Joseph’s actions were in sharp contrast to those of others around him. His brothers lacked self-control and threw Joseph into a pit to satisfy their own desires. Potiphar’s wife couldn’t control her sexual urges and made inappropriate advances toward Joseph. We can learn from this example and trust God with the unfortunate events in our lives. Even bad situations can be redeemed to encourage others.

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