“Diligence is the mother of good luck”. (Proverb)
When something happens to you, how much control do you feel you had over it? Your answer to this question is shaped by many factors (childhood experiences, parenting styles, abilities, trauma etc.) and causes you to fall somewhere on the spectrum of high internal to high external locus of control (LOC). Locus here refers to the location of control for your life. Simply put,
• If you feel what happens to you is largely due to external factors out of your control you have an external LOC
• If you feel the outcome of your actions is largely based on your choices & effort, you have an internal LOC
For those falling to the external locus end of the spectrum, life can be quite stressful. If things go well, it’s probably due to luck, chance, or coincidence. If things go poorly, there are likely outside forces to blame. Regardless, the person is left feeling chronically powerless & anxious. They may feel helpless to change things & hopeless that things will improve. These individuals are often passive (there’s nothing I can do), may have difficulty setting goals (it won’t happen anyway) & find it hard to accept responsibility for their behaviors (why bother).
A better outlook is one where the person realizes they can make their own choices & then live with the consequences. Individuals with a strong internal LOC have a stronger sense of self-confidence & self-efficacy (a great term worth looking up). In addition, these individuals display more individuality & independence. The positive implications for deepening your internal LOC are everywhere (health, work, addiction etc.). Believing in yourself allows you to make healthier choices, increase your motivation, decrease stress, enhance resiliency & develop a long-range vision. The more you feel in control of your life the more self-determination & self-esteem you’ll have to embrace the issues that come your way.
This is where much of the conversation about LOC ends. Internal = good, External = bad. However, things are rarely this cut & dry – right? A binary approach to LOC doesn’t take into consideration the structural & external factors (age, religion, sexuality, socioeconomic status, race, etc.) that affect all of us (some much more than others). Truly, there are aspects of this life that are not in our control. Whether we like it or not, we can do everything in our power to have a situation turn out well – and sometimes it does not (and vice versa).
So, where does that leave us? To truly talk about a person’s LOC it’s not enough to discuss the locus (the location) – it’s also imperative to tackle the issue of control. I don’t have time to get into this concept in full, however, I’ll give you two thoughts to ponder.
Perhaps you’ve never thought of this, however – in this life – the only thing truly under your control is yourself. I tell clients all the time – we are 100% responsible for ourselves & 0% for others. This can be a difficult pill to swallow – we wish it weren’t this way. Psychology would say that regardless of what happens to you, you always have the choice to control your thoughts, your feelings & your behaviors (this is the foundation for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). I’m not saying this is easy, however it is possible, & the premise generally aligns with Biblical thought (see Rom. 12:2, 2 Cor. 10:5, Matt. 18:15).
Which brings me to my second point. How do Christians reconcile having an internal LOC & surrendering their lives to Jesus (which sounds very much like an external LOC)? Interestingly, research shows that those with a religious orientation often have a stronger internal LOC than others. How can this be? I’m not exactly sure, I’m also not a theologian, however I am a Christian, so I’ll speak for myself. I’ve decided to share my LOC of control with Jesus because:
• I realize the limits of my finite knowledge & want to pray to One who is omnipotent
• I believe my salvation involves both surrender & free will
• I trust in God wholeheartedly, believe He cares for me, and yet also wants me to employ self-discipline and diligence.
• I don’t think independence is the ultimate goal, I believe interdependence upon God (and others) actually makes me the strongest
So, what about you:
• Where do you think you fall on the LOC spectrum?
• What could you do to strengthen a sense of internal LOC?
• What does control in general look like in your life? Do you under or over control the details?
• For the Christians – Why do you choose to turn over the control of your life to God?