The Benefit of Confessing Our Desire for Control

The key to this truth is the source of the strength. Christ gives us strength. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” There is healing in confessing our desire to control situations in our lives, and submitting instead to the strength we have in Christ to give us the restraint, patience, and self-control we need to wait on the Lord instead of taking matters into our own hands.

My journey as a mother won’t get easier in this life. There will be challenges, sickness and hardship which I cannot prevent from happening to my children. But there will also be inexplicable joy only He can accomplish for them. Paul wrote:

The fear of losing control will rob us of the peace Christ died to give us. He has given us life to the full. “Trying to take control of what can’t be ultimately controlled, we set ourselves up for fearfulness in times of inevitable trouble,” Kristen Wetherell wrote for The Gospel Coalition. “Since Jesus is Lord, we don’t have to be.” Because of Jesus, we can embrace Paul’s words:

When we toss and turn at night, stomachs churning over hurt we cannot heal and things out of our control, the Lord is with us. We do not lie awake alone. He is there with us. Jesus is so worthy. God is so faithful. He sees what lies in the darkness, and His army of angels battle with us while we prayerfully fight. “God gives us the prescription for anxiety- and that is prayer,” the Bible Study Tools Staff explains, “we cannot understand supernatural peace until we surrender our mind to God’s ways and thoughts.”

In all things, we are called to lead in love, as Jesus does. He leads us to peace which surpasses all understanding, not anxious thoughts which keep us awake through the night. There will be trouble in this world, pain we cannot prevent. But God is bigger. His ways are not our ways, nor are His thoughts our thoughts. And so our reaction is this:

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Meg writes about everyday life within the love of Christ at megbucher.com. She is the author of “Friends with Everyone, Friendship within the Love of Christ,” “Surface, Unlocking the Gift of Sensitivity,” “Glory Up, The Everyday Pursuit of Praise,” “Home, Finding Our Identity in Christ,” and "Sent, Faith in Motion." Meg earned a Marketing/PR degree from Ashland University but stepped out of the business world to stay home and raise her two daughters …which led her to pursue her writing passion. A contributing writer for Salem Web Network since 2016, Meg is now thrilled to be a part of the editorial team at Salem Web Network. Meg loves being involved in her community and local church, leads Bible study, and serves as a youth leader for teen girls.