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I have to admit, I like to be in control of things. Especially my surroundings, my car, my yard (I hate it when the weeds try and take over). So yeah, sometimes I can be a control freak. And when it seems like life is out of control, or things are just going haywire, I kind of freak out. But as I was reading God’s word today, I came across this verse -
Matt 11:28-30 (The Message)
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Even though I can be a control freak at times, if I’m honest, most of my life is out of my control. And really, sometimes having to be in control is stressful. Seriously, it’s a heavy load to carry. I often forget that ultimately, God is in control. I can make all the plans and stuff that I want but really, it’s up to God (see Proverbs 19:11). See when I try to control things and rely on my self, I usually screw up pretty royally. See my plans are usually flawed, because I’m not perfect. Big surprise there huh? So when I try and do things my way, especially when I know it’s not what God would want, that’s when I get stressed, worried, and in trouble. But when I submit to God and live the way I know that He meant for me to, things usually go pretty good. God tells us this in that verse “Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
But that doesn’t mean bad stuff doesn’t happen. We still live in a broken world, sometimes life goes in a direction you didn’t expect, or that you don’t like. How do you respond when that happens? Do you blame God, or do you stop, realize that we live in a world where bad stuff happens. There’s hurt, there’s pain, there is suffering, but God promises to always be with us. As rough as it may seem, He will use those situations for His good, even though we may never know it.
Do you trust God? Do you trust Him enough to believe in His promise that He won’t lay anything heavy, or ill-fitting on you? Sometimes it feels good to not have to be in control. Sometimes it feels good to just trust. I’m learning to live more freely in that trust, and I hope to trust Him more and more each day. Because I know He cares for me, Jeremiah 29:11-13 tells me so.
So join me on this experiment, trust. Let go. Lean into God. Give Him control. Learn to live freely and lightly.
love, live, burn.
Kerry
