01
Giving Up Control
Tim Savage8We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. 9In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. 10And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. 2 Corinthians 1
Several times during Paul’s ministry he faced extremes – imprisonment, shipwrecked in a storm, deadly snake bite and imminent death. Instead of being cautious or bitter, he was just the opposite, he was joyful in handing over complete control to God and relying only on Him. What a powerful and beautiful testimony of faith and trust in our Heavenly Father. Now Paul isn’t saying to wait until there is no other option before giving God control, he’s saying that there is total freedom when we stop trying to control things and give it over to Him.
I can’t control much in life, whether it will rain today, whether the stock market goes up or down, not even the person in the car behind me – as was the case yesterday when someone bumped me while I was stopped at a traffic light – no reason to think I was in danger, no reason to be prepared, it was just a routine stop and bang he hit me. And it wasn’t the first time that’s happened!
There are so many things out of our control, every second of every day. In Paul’s case facing suffering, pain and even death became a positive in that it forced him to give control over his life, his death and his salvation to God. It’s at that point that we really start living. It’s at that point that the stress of life becomes bearable – illness, finances, work and family will be in God’s hands and we can relax. God wants the best for us, He has a future and a hope for us. We may not understand or enjoy a particular season, but with God in control, we can be sure that it’s in our best interest to follow and have faith in Him because He sees the beginning from the end. How many times have I wanted something so badly and been disappointed when I didn’t get it, only to learn later that God had something better in store for me?
I want to be content and let God be in control. I want to have faith that my kids, my money, my possessions and my future are all in His hands, then I can live a life of joy in knowing that the outcome will be His will. And that’s all that really matters.
Dear Heavenly Father,
I hand over control to You. I must give up trying to manipulate and maneuver events and situations for my benefit and just trust that You are in control and want the best for me. The best may not be what I want at the time, but I know that ultimately I will be where You want me to be.
In Jesus name,
Amen
