13

January

Telling God to move over

“One of the main things we need to heal from is believing the only way to self-protect is to keep a sense of control over others and circumstances.  When we are being controlling, we think it’s the quickest way to . . . prevent what we are afraid will happen.  However, it’s actually doing the opposite.  Because when we take over, we are basically telling God to move over and let us take it from here.”- Lysa TerKeurst

As Lysa TerKeurst moves on in Chapter 8 of I Want to Trust You, but I Don’t, she observes that the things we don’t understand about someone most likely serve as the source of the things we don’t trust in them.  And what we lack the confidence to trust, we try to control.

However, Lysa cautions, the biggest risk on our journey doesn’t involve our decision to risk trusting.  And then having our hearts broken again.  Rather, the greatest risk centers on our failure to grow and heal from what happened.

Certainly, it may feel good to exert control for a few minutes.  But if we want to complete our journey safely, we must turn over our control to God.  Because God never meant for us to carry the weight of holding everything and everyone together.  And trying to do so takes a great toll on our peace.

In addition, Lysa acknowledges, it’s tough to release some of the ways we control.  Because our primary motive centers on safety.  Instead of our need to always be in charge.  Therefore, Lysa exhorts:

“Certainly my goal with trusting god can’t be to reduce Him down to being predictable.  Instead, my goal should be to continuously do my best to place my trust in God and carefully and reasonably place responsible conditions on trusting others. . . .  But I will suffer much more in the process when I pull away from God and try to take control of it all myself.”

Today’s question: What makes you prone to telling God to move over?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “The only One in control”

About the author 

Dave Henning

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