There is just something uneasy about not being in control and by uneasy I mean terrifying. You see I am the kind of girl who thrives off of control. It’s my safety net. With a past like mine it’s completely understandable to feel the way I do about giving up the control I have and leaving it in the hands of people. You see, as a child I was abused. Every bad thing that ever happened to me left me hopeless and fearful. I couldn’t control when the abuse happened and that terrified me. It left me always watching my back. Life’s circumstances had taught me that I am the only one in control of my life and if I want my life to be good then I have to take the steps needed to make it happen. This is not a bad philosophy to go by but I take control to the next level. I guess you could say I go overboard.

“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us the assurance about things we cannot see”
~Hebrews 11:1

You see, control is something my Heavenly Father is constantly working with me on. A relationship with God involves giving up your security and trusting that he will provide and take care of you. It also involves having faith in God and his abilities. Faith is doing Gods will and walking through life with him by your side, even when the path you are walking has a result that is unknown. A relationship with God involves trust that his will for your life will turn out just the way it is supposed to. It seems so simple but there are two words that make it so hard… Those two painful words are Faith and trust.

Why are those two simple words painful to act out? Because they involve giving up your control. It’s funny to me how God puts situations in your path that force you to grow in ways you wouldn’t think possible. The situations that have been put in my path have been situations where I am giving up any form of control I have and boy is it scary. After a couple weeks of being stressed out and attempting to regain control of my life God laid this verse on my heart as a reminder:

“Be still and know that I am God”.
~Psalm 46:10

Unfortunately life gets so busy with work, school, relationships and other distractions. When that happens the devil allows control to creep into our lives in hopes that it will distract us from our creator. We often forget to include God in our plans and let him design the proper path he desires for us to have and that is where I have been stuck lately but God wouldn’t allow me to stay in that rut. He has plowed me with life situations that involve me walking out in faith and obedience. He has retrained me to look towards him because only in him can I have true life fulfillment. Even though these situations seem hard to bear at times, I am so grateful to have a God who constantly makes it a priority to make sure I am looking towards him in everything I do. Most importantly though, I am so blessed to have a God who looks past my flaws and countless control issues and instead looks towards the good in me. As you finish out your week I encourage you look at your life and see what areas God needs to take control over. I encourage you to step out in faith and trust in the one who created you. The moment you do that he leaves you with his promise:

“Blessed and favorable child in the Lords eyes. Come to me as you are. Let me into your heart to mold you into my image. GIVE ME CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE so that I can shape your life and your future. Do not fear for I am with you always. Cherish the moments that you were unable to take control because it’s those moments that you will feel me the most and learn something I am teaching you. My control isn’t anything to be fearful of. It’s something to be thankful for. After all, who else can provide peace besides The Lord? Trust in my ways and never lose faith in my abilities. I will never fail you.”