Do you ‘like’ structure? Whose? Do you place your own structure for yourself or allow others to place structure on you? No choice? Of course there’s choice! Point is if you allow others to place the structure, who do you trust to have your best interests in mine when providing it? And when I said we have a choice when others attempt to place a structure on us, just look at children as an example. They always push the envelop attempting to discover the outer limits of what they can and can’t do. We do the same in our jobs – it’s how we see where and when we have autonomy and/or decision-making.
Structure: “coherent form or organization” is one definition provided by the dictionary. When used as a noun, the definition reads: “…the way that something is built, arranged, or organized – the way that a group of people are organized.” A simple way of defining structure is a plan or method of organizing the pieces and parts of one’s world in order to ‘make sense’ of what and how to act and respond. Yet none of this begins with process – it simply indicates the results.
I would argue that this is why in a seeming random pattern, there are people who opt for the extreme. This is why cults and organizations that provide a strict structure and demand obedience to it will thrive with those who don’t feel or think there is any relevant structure. In the randomness of life, structure can give meaning. Actually, I would argue that everyone reacts and orders outside stimuli (people, places, things) in order to understand. You can always accept or reject (fill in the blank) once it has its ‘place’.
When it comes to our lives, the world we live in – we all develop a structure to arrange all or our life pieces. This gives us a context in which to act that is relevant and ‘predictable’ so that surprises are reduced and at a minimum. Why do we do this? Not completely certain other then I think there is ‘something’ in everyone’s DNA that searches for context and order. We all, no matter now spontaneous or ‘unpredictable’ we appear to be, order life according to our standard.
And, we typically are on guard against any threats to our self-determine structure. Sadly, we don’t possess finite understanding and the unpredictable always seems to blindside us. Fortunately… the structure that is provided by the Lord is all we need. And, as long as we accept and follow His plans and purposes then we will experience freedom and choice and fruitfulness and fulfillment. That’s a worthy ‘structure’.
