I don’t know about you, but I am always disappointed with myself when God reveals an area or areas that I am trying to control. I haven’t really seen myself as a control freak before, but those who know me well might disagree. I love God with all my heart and have decided that I am going to do whatever it takes to show Him my gratitude for all He’s done for me by loving Him and His people…(all of them, whether they believe what I believe or not!) So when stress overwhelms me, I can be certain that I’ve lost the perspective I long to have…His perspective. When I can see from a godly, eternal perspective, it’s hard to be stressed about anything. If I can truly know and love and feel God, then how can I doubt that He is constantly at work, controlling everything in His time! What it means is that I’ve “tried” to take back control…I’ve lost my resolve, ever so slowly, to surrender all things to God.
Have you heard the song “Slow Fade” by Mercy Me? You should download it! It’s amazing and gives a real picture of how giving in just a little bit begins the downhill slide. It happens in everything we do…we’re dying for just one cookie…just one, right? NOT! Or we want to go shopping and get just a cute shirt, that’s all…but oh, those jeans fit sooo good, and I’ve never seen shoes like those before; I must have them! You see what I mean. It can also have a more serious tone: I am hurt by what she said about me, so I just need to get her back…just this once, I’m going to tell the others what she did that I promised I would never tell! Slow fade… morals don’t crumble in a day, families don’t crumble in a day, faith doesn’t disappear in a day…it’s a slow process of making decisions apart from God. I am reminded that when I want to control my career, my finances, my marriage, my friendships…I will most likely ruin them. I must surrender them to God and seek Him to make the best decisions. Nancy DeMoss puts it this way in her book Surrender: the Heart God Controls:
“You don’t want to surrender to God’s control? You won’t bow to His will in relation to your marriage, your morals, your attitudes, your tongue, your eating habits, your spending habits, or the way you spend your time? Then count on it – the very points on which you refuse to surrender will become ‘enemies’ that rule over you – lust, greed, possessions, food, sloth, immorality, anger, etc…”
What are you trying to control that is not going so well? Do you think it’s time to wave the white flag of surrender so that God can handle it correctly?
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