Lose Control
- chronybe16
- May 3, 2018
- 5 min read
It’s very rare to hear someone tell you to lose control. We live in a society where we have to look like we have everything together. In addition, we have been conditioned to fix something if we messed it up. I have grown to hate the thought of not feeling in control. I’m an educator so it's very common for me to have to fix or mend something at least once a day. Issues throughout my day often involve helping a student modify their behavior, submitting a work order for a building issue, assisting a staff member in contacting a student and a plethora of other matters. Moreover, I think it's interesting that in our life endeavors we feel that we have to maintain this sense of control but God is looking for the opposite. He wants us to lose our sense of control and give every worry, fear, frustration, responsibility, doubt, and burden to him. Notice that I said the word “sense” of control. Think about it, the only thing we can control is ourselves, we cannot control others and outcomes no matter how hard we try. We may have good intentions but things may not turn out the way we hoped.
I recently watched an amazing video/sermon by Dr. Dharius Daniels titled “He Knows Where I’m Going”. In his video/sermon Dr. Daniels talked about control being an illusion. We contribute but do not control; we influence but do not determine outcomes. Furthermore, he stated the following quote:
“When we attempt to manipulate outcomes we end up bearing the weight of something we were never intended to bear. We bear God weight, only God can control outcomes. When we bear God weight we crumble.”
After hearing Dr. Daniels speak I thought about how many times I tried to control things and bear God weight. I failed every time but still kept trying to make things work the way I desired. I’m an overthinker and easily fall in love with a thought that I have in my mind. It’s very hard for me to deal with reality when it deviates from the thought that I have in my mind. This sense of control only caused unnecessary pain, frustration, stress, and more intense thoughts on how I can fix things. It became a cycle.
These past few months have been a roller coaster of highs and lows. Disappointments in relationships and career opportunities exposed an issue that hindered me from truly trusting God. It was my desire for control. I wanted to control my future and people’s behaviors. I was against detours on my life journey and desired what I thought was a sure outcome. I rejected God’s expected end for my life because details were unknown. I disliked the failure and letdown that I experienced and couldn’t understand why it happened to me. I doubted God and didn’t feel that his word was true for me. It caused hate, envy, malice, and regret in my heart. I was in a bad place. I’m learning that it’s not just about seeing God in the light as a Father but also seeing him as a Shepherd. This perspective is key to the activation of our faith. Dr. Daniel’s elaborated on this concept further in “He Knows Where I’m Going”, his preface was based on Psalm 23:
David reflects on his time shepherding his father’s sheep, as I was to sheep so God is to me. The way I protected the sheep God has protected me. The Lord ‘Jehovah’ is my Shepherd; ‘Jehovah’ is a covenant name meaning that whatever you need him to be he made a covenant to be that. David said that’s the one who’s my Shepherd; he has insight, foresight, and acumen that I don’t have...I’m riding with somebody who knows where I’m going. I don’t have to stress, he knows the best route to get me where I’m going on time. When you made a decision to make Jesus the Lord of your life you got in the car with him. You need to sit in the passenger’s side and arrest anxiety and stress. Even though you don’t know where you’re going he knows where you’re going and he knows how to get you there on time. He is my Shepherd and I will lack nothing. The Holy Spirit is challenging us to control less and trust more.
A Shepherd is a a person who tends and rears sheep; to shepherd is to guide or direct in a particular direction. God wants us to lose control so that he can be our Shepherd. Two scriptures come to mind when I embraced this concept. 1 Peter 5:7 states “Give all your worries to him, because he cares for you”. In addition, Matthew 11:28-30 states “Come to me all of you are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest. Yes, the teaching that I ask you to accept is easy. The load I give you to carry is light.” When reading Matthew 11:28-30 I focused on “the heavy burden you have been forced to carry”; many times in life I was forced to carry heavy burdens because I refused to lose control and trust God with it. I failed to remember I’m strong but my Shepherd is stronger.
How do I take my burdens to the Lord? How do I let go and lose control? The answer is prayer. I’m reminded of song lyrics that read, “O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer!” I watched a video/sermon series by Pastor Michael Todd titled “Charged Up” and he offered an overview on the importance of prayer:
Prayer is the language of the dependent...God only values a relationship based on our choice. If we don’t want him to be a part of our lives he will not come in...The things we don’t pray about we don’t invite him into...Prayer says I choose you God as my Shepherd. We need to be sheep that talk to the Shepherd. Prayer says to God I need you...Prayer is a personal exchange with the Father not a religious act. If we have the wrong perspective of God we won’t come to him everyday...Prayer invites God in the circumstance...Prayer is the thing that will get you through every situation in your life.
What are you carrying that is God weight? Have you truly given it to God in prayer? It’s time to have a real conversation with God. The Shepherd can bear the burden that weighs you down. He has your best intentions in mind. He’ll never set you up for failure. He’ll fight your battle while you rest in his peace.
“I leave you peace. It is my own peace I give you. I give you peace in a different way than the world does. So don’t be troubled. Don’t be afraid.” (John 14:27)
Stop trying to formulate solutions in your mind and let God handle it. It’s time to lose control.
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