Religion and External Locus of Control

I was recently reading about external locus of control in a class I am taking, and it really got me thinking. The discussion focused on how this concept can affect people with intellectual disabilities. An external locus of control is the belief that our lives are largely controlled by outside forces, such as fate, chance, or other people, rather than by our own choices and actions.

I can understand how some individuals with intellectual disabilities might develop this outlook, especially if they have spent much of their lives having other people make decisions for them. When someone is constantly taking the lead concerning your life and well-being, it can become difficult to recognize how much influence you actually have over your own circumstances.

But as I continued reading, my thoughts turned toward religion.

Could some of our religious teachings actually encourage us to develop an external locus of control?

Think about how often Christians are told to "wait on God," "let God take control," or "trust His timing." While these expressions can encourage faith and patience, I wonder whether we sometimes interpret them in ways that discourage personal responsibility and initiative.

We may begin believing that everything happening in our lives is simply God's will and that there is little we can do to change our circumstances. Instead of making decisions, exploring opportunities, seeking solutions, or taking reasonable risks, we wait for God to make the first move.

And I have to admit, I used to think this way myself.

I sometimes believed that if God wanted something to happen in my life, He would arrange the circumstances without requiring much participation from me. I was waiting for God to take the lead, when perhaps He was waiting for me to recognize the abilities, opportunities, and freedom to make decisions that I already possessed.

The more I reflect on this, the more I question whether we have confused trusting God with surrendering our personal agency.

After all, Proverbs 16:9 tells us, "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps." Notice that the person is still making plans and taking steps. Trusting God does not necessarily mean abandoning our responsibility to think, choose, and act.

Perhaps faith was never intended to make us passive participants in our own lives. Maybe trusting God and exercising personal responsibility were always meant to work together. We can pray for wisdom while making decisions, trust God while pursuing opportunities, and believe in His guidance without expecting Him to make every choice for us. And perhaps one of the most important lessons we can learn is that having faith does not mean giving up control over everything we have the ability and responsibility to influence.