Surrendering Control

There isn’t a person I know who doesn’t like control.

You don’t have to have a Type A personality or be a natural-born leader to try to govern the world around you. Everyone wants to direct their circumstances to make their lives easier, more gratifying, and less disruptive to their desires. We want to be the ones who have the final say in our lives.

In other words, we want to be God.

The modern era we live in only encourages this god complex. Throughout history, most people were limited in their opportunities. Now, thanks to technology, globalization, and an overall rise in prosperity, we dwell in an endless sea of options and possibilities.

Never before has a generation experienced the amount of control that we do! We can eat whatever cuisine we crave and have it delivered to our door. We can wear any textile or pattern, watch any show at the click of a button, listen to any song, travel almost anywhere in the world, and live in any climate we’d like. The list goes on.

The sheer number of choices we get to (or have to) make on a daily basis are both a burden and a blessing. Most significantly, our constant decision-making can make us feel as though we really are directing our lives.

But we are not God, and total control is a facade.

No matter how many choices we make and how deep our sense of rulership goes, things inevitably fall apart at some point. Health issues arise, accidents happen, possessions are ruined or lost, people hurt us, we hurt others, and leaders make decisions that harm us. That’s when we realize that the actual amount of control we have over our lives is quite limited. After all, we can’t even control whether we draw our next breath or whether our hearts will pump their next beat! This realization can cause a deep sense of anxiety. Deep down we know that control is worthwhile only if it is absolute and that our carefully built kingdoms can quickly come crashing down.

So what’s the answer?

We must unfurl our fingers.

The only way to experience true soul rest is by surrendering control to the good and all-sovereign Lord. We can surrender our hopes and fears into the Creator’s arms because he is powerful enough to provide and good enough to do what’s best. Most wondrously, he also deeply cares about every detail of our lives, both large and small, and he loves working our circumstances together for our ultimate joy and his greatest glory.

If you struggle (as we all do) with the desire to rule over your own life, and you find yourself overcome by the fear of your personal control being taken away, fall to your knees. One of the most practical ways we can surrender to God is by going to him in prayer. You can physically raise your hands, with palms facing up, and name each thing you wish to surrender to the Father. Then, when you’re done, stand up and leave those hopes, fears, dreams, and doubts at the foot of the Cross. The sooner you release control into the hands of God, the sooner you’ll experience the peace he promises.

Prayer Prompt: Pray for three things you desire in your own life, then pray for three things on behalf of other people. Make your requests confidently, knowing that God is powerful enough to do anything! And make your requests humbly, trusting that God is good and will do what is best.

Journal Prompt: What are some things you wish you had more control over? How can you do a better job surrendering them to God?