Do I want control?

"Invictus" by William Ernest Henley 
Out of the night that covers me, 
      Black as the pit from pole to pole, 
I thank whatever gods may be 
      For my unconquerable soul. 

In the fell clutch of circumstance 
      I have not winced nor cried aloud. 
Under the bludgeonings of chance 
      My head is bloody, but unbowed. 

Beyond this place of wrath and tears 
      Looms but the Horror of the shade, 
And yet the menace of the years 
 Finds and shall find me unafraid. 

It matters not how strait the gate, 
      How charged with punishments the scroll, 
I am the master of my fate, 
 I am the captain of my soul. 
William Ernest Henley's poem, "Invictus," has long been an inspiration to humans seeking to overcome circumstance and rise above defeat. In this poem, he echoes man's desire to have control rather than to yield to another's. When read in the midst of trial, this fight song of human resilience seems to inspire and uplift. The message, however, when interpreted through a Christian view, begs the question: who is truly capable of mastering this control? The majority of the poem mirrors Christian perspective, not submitting to defeat but pushing onward. The last two lines, though, show the distinct contradiction in thought: "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." This shows that the author's hope, in the face of defeat, is that he alone will possess the strength to rise above. As a Christian, the weight of this demand points to the need for a higher power to sustain and provide the strength I do not possess. I shudder to imagine bearing the weight of life's pain alone and my heart cries out for someone to carry me through it. The Bible is filled with indicators of this protector on which to cast your burdens. While still echoing the cry to not submit, it begs instead for the reader to find strength in the sharing of burdens. 
1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 
Philippians 4:6-7 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Joshua 1:9 - Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Matthew 19:26 - But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."


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