I have a friend who matter- of- factly says to me, “Kelly, you think you are in control, but you aren’t.” When I hear it I smile because she is right. Why do I try to keep a tight rein on every situation? Simply put: I like to be in control. I like to have my hand in it all. BUT, Praise God! I see that this is a change I need to seek out His wisdom for and give my Heavenly Father full control of my life and total control of every circumstance. I praise Him for bringing this to my attention and allowing His Word to give me clarity in changing it. It’s not impossible as I have viewed tackling this in the past. (This is how I know He is at work and I am becoming more like Him. I never want to stay where I am and He is certainly not leaving me there. Thank You, Lord.)
Here are some examples I can see recently: in wanting to control/intervene in every single disagreement of my children rather than having them learn to work it out, in planning the birth of our daughter, in wondering when we will move from New Mexico, in lack of flexibility for what God wants for me on a particular day (I have my plan and I want to get stuff done! ) I know there are many, many more, but you get the overall picture. I love control.
I’ve been praying about this for years and have always labeled myself “controlling” which I believe breeds other sins/bad habits as insecurity, lack of contentment, lack of security in Christ alone, but mostly a lack of trust in God. It leads to straying my own way, gaining the wisdom from other places rather than God and ultimately not obeying Him. I don’t have to have it all figured out! In seeking out Truth in this matter, I found great hope this morning in how to relinquish control and rest peacefully in My Father’s perfect place for me… His perfect will, no other place. Now I just have to walk in it so I can “not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive myself. (I must) Do what it says!” James 1:22
Here is what I need to remember and put into practice from Romans 8:
1. To remember that if I am controlled by my sinful nature and not God, this can’t please Him! ( Rom 8:8) I want more than ANYTHING to please Him! That’s my pure motive.
2. To remember that I am controlled NOT by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in me. Which He does! ( Rom 8:9) I belong to Him!
3. My obligation is NOT to the (my) sinful nature, to live according to it. ( Rom 8:12) My obligation is to My Father… to live and walk according to His Spirit. Then I can “put to death the misdeeds of the (my) body, (so I) will live! ( Rom 8:13) I think this means to not quench His Spirit when He is directing me and controlling me; to not hold on to the reins so tightly, but to give them to Him and go His way.
4. I want to do and provide the very best for my own children. God wants to do the same for me because “those who are lead (or controlled) by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” ( Rom 8:14)
5. When I am in control, I revert to the “spirit that makes me a slave AGAIN (I need to break this cycle!) to fear…..(I see a trend in my life that this fear stems from circumstances when I am trying to be in control)
Now what???? I have to trust and obey, there is no other way. Read the words to this hymn. I hope it blesses you as it did me this morning. http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/t/r/trstobey.htm
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