Making Faith MagneticSample

IS THERE A WAY TO CONTROL?

Calendars. Google Maps. Weather apps. Online booking. Financial advisors. Disney travel concierges. Those are just a few of the ways we try to perfectly curate our lives. We want to control the outcomes of our financial planning, vacation planning, party planning, family planning, etc. You name your goal, and there are probably dozens of books, podcasts, blogs, influencers, and apps to help you control your destiny.

So, you can dream and plan and micromanage your entire life. Until the day you can’t. Until that phone call. Until that accident. Until that unexpected good or bad thing exposes that you’re not actually in control. And suddenly you feel like fate has either been good to you or dealt you a low blow. Either way, you’re no longer the director but an actor in the story of your life.

We want to be in control, and so we have tried to take over as gods of our own lives. But as followers of Jesus, we know that while God gave us the responsibility to steward creation (Genesis 2:15)- care for it, shape it, work with it, make a home in it- this world does not ultimately belong to us. God is the owner, and that means He is sovereign and in control of both the world and our individual lives.

Ask Yourself:

-How do I try to control my life and others’ lives?

-How are people in my life looking for control in both healthy and unhealthy ways?

Pause to Pray: Jesus, I do a terrible job when I try to control my own life. Stress, anxiety, and worry are not what You want for me. Forgive me for holding too tightly and teach me to surrender more fully to You. Amen.

Take a Next Step:

-Continue your 3-3-3 prayers! (see Day 2)

-What is an area of control that you need to surrender to God? Talk with a trusted friend or mentor about letting go.