Surrender control to God is hard, especially when we take control of our lives all the time. In my devotional book, Rejoice in Your Work, I talk about being a control freak. If I had a cow brand on my backside, that would be it. Now, I am not endorsing branding people, as that would be inhumane. But I am talking about a character trait that defines a person and needs to be given over to God daily. With God this is possible.
Why Surrender Control to God?
Simply put God’s thoughts and ways are not ours. The part about this simple statement is that His thoughts and ways are hard for us to understand. They are completely different most times.
In Isaiah 55:8-9 says,
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-9
God was in the beginning with Jesus and the Holy Spirit as they created the world (Genesis 1:1-2, John 1:1-3).
In the book of Job, the man of Job was tested with a time of severe trials. He lost his children, and herds, and suffered sores on his body. Yet Job did not lose faith in God. After chapters of his friends giving him incorrect advice, Job, with respect, asked God questions about his suffering.
The Lord answered Job in chapters 38 and 39. He goes through this long discourse of all the areas throughout creation and the world how God was and is there. This one verse gives you an idea of the magnitude of His thoughts:
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.”
Job 38:4
We can certainly question and ask God questions about what is going on in our lives. But He is the sovereign ruler over all of this world. His thoughts and ways are beyond our human comprehension. There are things that we don’t understand – critical illness, job loss, and deaths of loved ones.
We need to surrender control of our lives to God. He knows the bigger picture. Any efforts we take to be in control, we are spinning our wheels in futility as Solomon says in Ecclesiastes, a chasing after the wind.
Why do we take Control?
But why do we take control? There are three reasons why we take control.
These three reasons are fleshed out in the post, Surrendering Control to God or Taking Control. However, here is a summary of them.
1. Unbelief
A person who doesn’t believe in God or Jesus doesn’t surrender to God. They are their god. They bow down to their whims and desires.
In Proverbs 1:22, we see –
“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?”
Proverbs 1:22
Those who are stuck in unbelief are choosing to be there. They think that they are wise in their knowledge of God and these things.
They say to God, ‘Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of your ways.’
Job 21:14
However, they are simple and do not give the knowledge of God a second look.
We were talking about God’s ways in our connection group on Sunday. One person talked about the conversation that he had with others about God. They think that they know more about how life is making it more complicated than it needs to be.
Knowing God is like my Chair
I think that knowing and trusting God is like trusting a chair. It is simple to understand yet profound that I do. How do I know that the chair in front of me will hold me? Because it has been proven that it will! The chair has four legs, is sturdy, and will handle up to 250 pounds. (According to various sources on the web, that is the tested weight, most chairs can handle way more than that).
There are many ways that God has proven that He is God and worthy of knowing and trusting. That is a whole other episode we could talk about. However, the main ways I have seen and learned to trust God, more than I do my chair, is how he has answered prayer in my life and many around me.
2. Rebellion
We are in all-out rebellion against God. This can happen to the unbeliever as stated above or a believer can have moments of rebellion, too.
When there is a specific command that a believer knows and chooses not to do, they are sinning and rebelling against God.
There are three types of rebellion and they can affect our contentment. Rebellion is against God and can be against authorities or leaders as well. Whenever we go a different way from God’s, our contentment is affected. Rebellion grieves God because we are separated from His presence.
We need to stay on God’s path of righteous living and repenting of our ways that are off the path.
Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!
Psalm 119:1
3. Lack of Trust
Lack of Trust or we could call it doubt is the third reason that we take control. This type can rear its ugly head daily if you let it. We are in the thoughts of our heads daily. When we go down a path that isn’t of God, we can spiral into depression and anxiety. Most often, thinking about the past and the ‘should haves’ and ‘could haves’ can depress a person. And fear of the future can put a person into worry and anxiety. Even fear of the unknown can happen at work or wondering if you will fail at your job.
I love what the Lord said to Jeremiah in 17:8.
“He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
Jeremiah 17:8
When we stay in God’s ways, we are connected to God’s living water. We don’t need to fear the future as God takes care of us. And we will continue to thrive in our lives and bear good fruit for Him.
How do we Surrender Control to God?
One of the passages of scripture that I have been camped on this past week is Psalm 1:1-3.
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
Psalm 1:1-3
There is a contrast between the person who walks, stands, and sits with the wicked people and a person who chooses to delight in the Lord’s laws. We are not blessed if we choose to hang out with these people.
Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on.
Proverbs 4:14-15
The way of the wicked is not a path that God wants us on. The word avoid is a command in Hebrew for each of us to “let alone or neglect” them. These ways are not where believers should walk.
Delight in God’s Law
Instead, we are to delight in His law. When we do this, we are blessed.
Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments!
Psalm 112:1
Delighting in doing what God wants for us has many benefits. We trust Him because He is the giver of life and His thoughts are higher than anything we can think of. And we are blessed for walking in His ways and letting Him be in control.
Listen to what the Lord told Joshua before they went into the promised land.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:8–9
The people were about to go into a new land. It was unknown. Would there be people to conquer? Yes! Would there be challenges to endure? Yes! Would there be food and plenty of it for all of Israel? Yes!
But the people needed to know they didn’t need to worry. They needed to put their trust in God and His Word. And they needed to follow His commands and be strong, and courageous.
God has got this! He provides and will take care of them and us wherever we go. And what is the result? God will make the way prosperous and successful.
