Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.
~Psalm 37:5 NLT
I wanted it as a teenager, but circumstances were against me. Giving control was difficult.
My Way
I was raised in a culture of strict rules and regulations. As a part of the Baby Boomer generation, I fought for control of a society I pictured as oppressive and unfair. My parents were raised in homes where their parents and grandparents expected them to conform. They brought their strict rules into their parenting culture. Eighteen was the magic number for which I longed. When I reached it, I moved out immediately and took control of my life.
Many years later, I look back on my upbringing and appreciate the boundaries my parents imposed. In fact, I made similar ones for my children and grandchildren.
Wanting control of our lives and situations is part of human nature. Giving control to others is like sanding against the grain. The psalmist challenges the norm and instructs us to commit everything to the Lord. To give Him control. When we do, He will help us.
God’s Way
I’ve learned the truth of the imperative. When I attempt to control things without God’s guidance or input, I consistently mess them up. Things may seem to go well initially, but trouble is on the horizon. God created us with the hope that we’d let Him control our lives, but from the beginning, we attempted to snatch control away from Him.
Giving God control is a choice. He will not force Himself upon us, and He will let us experience the consequences of our poor choices.
Giving God control takes a large leap of faith. Faith that He exists, that He wants to be involved in our lives, that He actually has the ability to control them in a way that’s best for us, and that He knows what’s best better than we do.
Allowing God to have control also takes prayer. Prayer is needed before we make decisions, while we’re making them, and after we make them.
God wants to be in the driver’s seat, but He won’t assume the position unless we willingly give it to Him. He created us with free will, which provides us with the ability to control things ourselves if we so desire. But we’ll only know true success when we commit everything to Him by saying, “God, take control.”
Give God the control He wants and deserves.
Prayer: Father, I commit everything I do and say to You, believing I will receive Your blessings in return.
Martin Wiles lives in Greenwood, SC, and is the founder of Love Lines from God. He is a freelance editor, English teacher, pastor, and author. He serves as Managing Editor for both Christian Devotions and Vinewords.net and is an instructor for the Christian PEN (professional editor’s network). Wiles is a multi-published author. His most recent book, Hurt, Hope and Healing: 52 Devotions That Will Lead to Spiritual Health, is available on Amazon. He and his wife are parents of two and grandparents of seven. He can be contacted at mandmwiles@gmail.com.
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