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Have you ever heard of the gift of letting go? Well, this gift of letting go isn’t found in the Bible per se, but certainly the Bible is full of admonitions to let go. I want to talk about letting go of the controls of your life—and this applies to all of us control-freaks!
Proverbs 3:5-6 makes it very clear that we are to turn over the controls to the Lord: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
And again in Isaiah 48:17: “This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.’”
It’s easy to quote these verses, but when it comes to giving up your plans and asking God to direct you in the way you should go, well, that’s not quite so easy, is it? Maybe you do what I’ve often done—you come up with your plans and then you ask God to bless them. Lord, here is what I want to do; it’s a really good plan; I’ve thought it through very carefully and I’m sure you agree that this is the way I should go. So, please bless my plans. Are you guilty of that kind of control tendency, as I often am?
When will we learn that God’s ways are best? As we just read from Isaiah, God teaches us what is best for us. He’s not trying to make your way hard; he’s not trying to steal your joy. He simply knows what is best for you. He is far better at controlling your life than you are! So, please give him the blank piece of paper and ask him to write the plan.
And here’s the thing: this gift of letting go of the controls of your life and giving God permission to run your show is not a once and for all thing. It’s pretty much a daily attitude, an on-going commitment, an intentional decision you will have to make on a regular basis. Your days need to begin with relinquishing the controls of your life to God for that day, admitting your inadequacy to control your own lives, and once again acknowledging that you belong to God and he is in control.
I urge you to let go of the controls of your life—give them over to God. And then do it again tomorrow and tomorrow—and all the tomorrows of your life. You’ll never regret it.