14

January

The only One in control

“Trying to control the uncontrollable breeds chaos.  Surrendering to the only One in control brings peace.  Let’s restate those last two sentences: Controlling others breeds chaos.  Surrendering to God produces peace.”- Lysa TerKeurst

Lysa TerKeurst concludes Chapter 8 of I Want to Trust You, but I Don’t as she counsels that the more impatient we get, the more we tend to walk right by the beauty God has for us today.  As a result, with a sullen look and a heavy heart, we easily miss it all.

Therefore, Lysa suggests a big step forward.  Receive the goodness of this day as well as what’s hard about it.  So, rather than straining to control the uncontrollable, Lysa exhorts, quiet that angst with the beautiful practice called surrender.

Because, the author observes, control serves as our way of trying to:

  • perfect that which will never be perfected.
  • reduce the risk of others hurting us; but it actually increases relational tensions.
  • keep things the way we want them to be, not realizing how that stress is making us fall apart in the process.

Consequently, Lysa cautions:

“What an exhausting way to live . . . acting like we have power that we won’t ever have.  I am realizing that when I live this way, I am succumbing to self-centered and fear-based living.  It’s not God-centered and freedom-based living.

I’m not saying that you and I are blatantly self-centered people.  I’m saying when we remove trusting God from the center of our perspective, that vacuum will be filled with an elevated sense that everything depends on us. . . .  Trust that today is a necessary part of the process only [God] can see right now.”

In conclusion, Lysa underscores, in the midst of real-life angst, if it feels ridiculous to submit something to God, that’s a sign.  A sign that submitting to God is the absolute right thing to do.  Furthermore, treat praying to God as your first priority.  Not your last resort.

Today’s question: What Bible verses most help you to submit to the only One in control?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Betrayals and trust issues”

About the author 

Dave Henning

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