Give up control
He was riding his scooter outside, fell down, and scraped his knee.
Our youngest son, Kaleb, came limping over to me grimacing. His fun had been ruined by his fall. So I grabbed my first aid kit, cleaned the wound, dabbed a little antibiotic ointment on it and carefully applied the Band-Aid.
After a few minutes, he was as good as new.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all our pains could be so quickly and easily soothed? I’d love it if I always knew exactly how to go about the business of righting every wrong.
Wouldn’t we all?
But life doesn’t work that way. There are seasons when we deal with highly complex and challenging situations. The solutions aren’t apparent. Sometimes, when it gets really bad, we honestly have no clue how to make things better. I’ve been there plenty times.
Some situations have left me baffled and scratching my head. Because I like to fix things, I certainly don’t prefer perplexing scenarios that I can’t piece together and work out.
You probably don’t either.
Nevertheless, it’s important that you and I resist the urge to place our hope and confidence in our own abilities. If we do, we will spend so much time discouraged, frustrated and fretting over our limitations. We’ll be aggravated that we can’t find a Band-Aid solution.
Trusting in the One who has no limitations is the key to true joy and contentment.
Psalm 67:8 says, “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”
Everything you’ll ever need can be found in Him. Run to Him, the source of your supply. Stop trying to figure things out on your own and take it to the Lord.
The situation is beyond your control, but it's not beyond God's! Let go & let Him have His way.
No matter how great your need, God never runs out of supply. His inventory doesn’t get low, even when ours does.
I’m reminded of the woman at the well in John 4:1-15. She had a deep longing in her soul that she kept trying to fill up with different men. On the day she met Jesus, she had already been married five times and was living with a man who wasn’t her husband.
She was thirsty.
She tried to quench that thirst with natural affection and natural water. But she didn’t realize she had come face-to-face with a man who had power to give her the kind of supernatural love and spiritual water that would quench her thirst forever.
Jesus, the “Living Water”—the Messiah—had exactly what she needed, though she didn’t know it at their time of meeting.
In verse 13, Jesus told her, anyone who drinks from the natural well of water will be thirsty again. In verse 14, He went on to say, whoever drinks from the water He gives will never thirst.
That word thirst Jesus used is not merely describing natural thirst that can be satisfied with water.
It is a Greek word, dipsaó (pronounced dip-sah'-o). Figuratively, it means someone painfully feels their lack of something. They eagerly long for those things that refresh, support and strengthen the soul.
Jesus essentially told her she would never be satisfied until she tried Him. She was applying a Band-Aid—a surface-level treatment—to something that went much deeper.
Friend, when we attempt to resolve issues using our intellect, resources and “common sense,” instead of seeking God, we remain thirsty. Our soul isn’t satisfied.
Today, the Lord is urging you to turn over the reins of your life and let Him reign over your life. Give up control. Let Him have it. Lay your burdens down at His feet and you’ll find rest in Him.
Believe in His power. Trust in His wisdom. Lean on Him. Rely on His strength. He won’t fail you.
There’s no way you can do life without Him—not if you want to be fulfilled, whole and truly joyful.
If you have been exhausting yourself, spinning your wheels, doing everything imaginable to find fulfillment, this is your opportunity to stop.
Stop trying to figure it out. Stop trying to fix it. Stop trying to maneuver. Stop trying to control things. Stop trying to resolve issues by yourself.
You can’t.
Back away from the reins.
Proverbs 3:5, which is what I’m stirring into your cup of inspiration, says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.”
As you drink down the contents of your cup, again, drop those reins. Hand them over to the Lord. Giving up control is so liberating. Let Him lead you.
He will do something far more amazing than you could have ever orchestrated on your own.
I’m a living witness.
Now let’s pray.
God, today, I’m giving up control. I give You complete Lordship over my life. Do with it as You will. I trust You with my destiny and everything concerning me. Please forgive me for the times I excluded You from my plans in an effort to do things my way. From this day forward, I give it all to You and I say with a submitted heart, have Your way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
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