Lord, I'm Letting Go and Letting You Control

I'm single so I don’t have so much “need to control” any more. I have my say with the remote control, choosing what to eat and when to eat it, when to wake up and when to go to bed. But, I’ve noticed some control issues far too many times. God noticed and I feel His divine chisel out that is slicing and dicing off my rough edges. It isn’t comfortable, but I am yielding to His still small voice that often gets loud and clear. I'm letting go and letting Him control.

No doubt, all of us, in one way or the other, have some “control" issues. Recently I was trying to reorganize a group meeting AFTER the plans were settled and done. What in the world? Lord, please help me let go and let others have their way and, by all means, to let go and let YOU have YOUR way. This morning, in my daily text message to my children, I sent this scripture to them. I’m quite sure it was as much for me as them: Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and LEAN NOT to your own understanding. In all your ways, submit to Him and He will direct your paths.” Thanks, God! I needed that reminder!

Maybe you relate to my musings this morning. Maybe you, too, have control issues. Last week, I heard a mom share how her grown, married daughter doesn’t want to communicate with her or even come to see her and spend time with her. But the back story is this mom has control issues – always advising and telling her what to do. She is one of those helicopter parents (overprotective and hovering over the every move of her daughter). Control issues are the enemy’s tactics to drive wedges in relationships.

Recently, I had a passenger with me in my car and before I could get the car started, she was already telling me how to drive, which road to turn on, which direction to go and how fast to go. I was quite proud of myself because I just let her “control”. There are just sometimes it’s best to let a controller be in control – for Pete’s sake -- and for peace sake.

Bottom line.....it's time to let go of having to control. It's time to choose "surrender" over "control". Submitting instead of controlling. Again, that scripture says it best….”in ALL your ways, submit to Him” – let Him be the controller.

Dear God, I confess I like being in control. It makes me feel safe and secure. It makes me feel like I have a purpose. But I know that being a control freak isn’t going to get me anywhere. Help me surrender control to you each and every day. Help me trust in you deeply, so that I will not fear surrendering that control. I open the cage and let the "control" birds fly away! Amen.

Renewed: From the Inside Out

My word for today is RENEWED: to make like new, restore to freshness, to make new spiritually, regenerated, revive, rebuild

I'm sure noticing many advertisements and labels that shout out “Renew your youth! Reduce those lines and wrinkles! Guaranteed success or your money back! Become a new you!” I’ll admit, I’ve yielded to their promises and purchased some of those products. I’d like to say that, as they promised, I look ten years younger from their “magic potion” – but, NOT!

The truth is I AM okay with my age, and I’m okay with these lines that seemed to have come from nowhere...quickly. I’ve earned every line and crease with every chapter of every story I’ve lived. Those stories make up who I am. And I wouldn’t trade my stories, and my years, for anything. I’ve lived long enough now to see (even the tough years — the ones I didn’t think I’d survive) how God used every one and every experience to bring me to a place of deep assurance and sweet peace today. God showed Himself strong through it all. And my trust in Him grew.

The journey from youth to maturity has come quickly, but I've found that RENEWAL really is possible. It’s not the kind of renewal that’s promised in a store-bought product on a shelf or a surgeon's knife. RENEWAL begins with yielding to our Creator and letting Him RENEW us from the inside out.

To be RENEWED from the inside out is purging all those "unsightly" ways, attitudes and emotions from the inside so that our outside reflects God’s beauty. My Mom always said “Beauty is skin deep….it’s what's in your heart that makes you beautiful.” I think about Saint Mother Teresa. She had more wrinkles than anyone, but at 85 she was younger and more vibrant than a 20-year old as she loved and cared for hurting humanity. From the inside out....she was extraordinarily beautiful.

When we realize WE ARE BEAUTIFUL because the marvelous, exquisitely beautiful ONE lives in us, and when we embrace THAT BEAUTY and let it shine through our eyes, speak through our mouths, hug with our arms, love with the love of Christ, then we will be RENEWED and the fountain of youth will be flowing out of us to a hurting world.

Proverbs 31:30 "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."