RELINQUISH CONTROL

It doesn’t feel good to not be in control.

In control of our life. Our choices. Our struggles. Our emotions. Our relationships. Our work. To not be on top of everything. Doing well in the many facets of life.

It doesn’t feel good— It doesn’t feel comfortable.

And yet, being in control is just an illusion. It is not reality. We are not actually in control or even have the actual ability to have control over all the things we interact with in our life on a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly basis. So much is outside our control and we will expend so much energy trying to force things to go a certain way in our life— only to realize we can’t actually budge them ourselves.

We don’t have control over other people, their thoughts, their choices, their actions, their perceptions of us or their beliefs. We don’t have control over nature, circumstances, relationships, or even truly our life… As psychology will tell us or therapy if you’ve been doing it for any good amount of time— we only have control over our own choices, our reactions, our boundaries, our actions, our behavior, our thoughts and how we interact with those thoughts.

We only have control and the ability to sway ourselves, to have true influence over the inner workings of our own individual being. When you begin to truly grasp this truth, it begins to free you, to pause you in your frantic trying, frantic scheming and planning and toiling to “control” or change the mind of someone else or “help” them into doing something we would like them to do. It frees you in your personal life and can free you in your professional life as well. It allows you to focus more energy on the right way in which you should go about your life and your choices— in your own autonomy as a person and under God’s leading.

You don’t have control over someone else’s choices, words, actions, feelings, emotions, or behavior. They do. You don’t have control over their mistakes.

You do, however, have ownership of your own mistakes, your own choices from the past, your own words, actions, and behavior. You can’t change the past. You can only learn from the past and seek healing and restitution/restoration from the past.

RELINQUISH control. Who do you think actually has control over and sovereignty over everything— the power to make a change in the lives and hearts of people, in the very one life you are living?

God. Jesus. He has the power to transform. He has the power to break chains and bondage from past issues and struggles. He has the power to bring healing. God is the One who in control and over all.

The words, RELINQUISH control, were ones the Lord gave to me recently in regards to health battles in my life I was struggling with— Ones I was trying to seek answers on, seek treatment for, trying to control. I wasn’t trusting God but leaning into my own plans and understanding as I made a choice for my health recently. Not a bad choice, but the Lord illuminated my mind to understand that my going after that choice in that moment was doing it in my own power and not trusting God to provide and protect and heal my body as only He can. He can use modern medicine and treatment to provide that healing if He chooses to lead that way.

In this instance though, I was trying to control the outcome, wanting to avoid further struggles, further worry, further difficulty.

My eyes were on the waves, rather than on the God who allowed the waves into my life in the first place. “Will you trust me?” He was asking.

“ RELINQUISH control. And trust me.”

And so, I repented and asked the Lord to forgive me for my doubting, for my not trusting Him to care for me in this too, for not seeking His guidance before going ahead with what seemed the right answer. I canceled the upcoming appointment to pause and seek the Lord in it further.

I laid down my fears and worries before the Lord and determined to walk it out in His leading, trusting that He would guide me in what the right decision was for my health. He has cared for me before and been so faithful, and He will continue to do it now.

Increase my faith in you, God. Help me to continually relinquish control in my life for what you would have Lord, not what I think is best before I seek you in it. Help me to pause for your leading. To hear your voice. Thank you for your mercy and goodness Lord in my life and all the ways you have blessed me.

Friend- I would invite you to also pause in your life and identify where you are not relinquishing control to the Lord. Talk to Him. Acknowledge it. Ask Him for His help, His leading in your life today in all that you will encounter and come up against. He is more than able to care for you. And He can be trusted. Will you let Him lead you?

Be blessed today friends!

Make sure to follow me on my social media and not miss encouraging content:

Instagram: Choosejoyinthemidst

Facebook: Choosejoyinthemidst1