The Illusion of Control

I struggle to find the words to capture the entirety of the last year. This past year was truly life changing and essential. When I tell you God has been giving me a lesson in expanding my faith-whew. I have had to learn to trust God like never before. This year has been filled with both moments of frustration and beautiful unexpected moments of pure joy.

No one talks about this- but there's a grief that comes with letting go of the life you thought you'd have at a certain point in time. I've had my timeline and my desires like any other young woman. In the past, I have tried to control things on my own. When we try to control certain things, it leads to frustration. When we surrender to God, it leads to peace.

The underlying theme and lesson in this year for me was surrender. I have had moments of frustration, finding myself in my apartment in tears, wondering when God is going to answer my prayers and move in my situation.

Psalms 34:7 says He will give you the desires of your heart. For the longest time I thought that meant God would give me whatever I desire (within reason). This is not entirely true. When you are rooted in Christ and get to know Him better, your wants/desires start to align with the word of God and His will. Delay is not always denial! Delay often means preparation. Sometimes we don't get what we desire exactly when we want it because God doesn't want us to mishandle it. He wants us to be prepared and ready for our blessings. I encourage you to be a good steward of your waiting period.

The truth is, whatever God has for you is far better than anything you could ever think or imagine. We may think that getting what we want when we want it is the best thing for us, but our creator knows what we need when we need it. Ephesians 3:20 (NKJV) says, Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

His timing is perfect. We must surrender to God's will. When you pray for specific things, make sure you pray above all that God's will be done in your life.

The moment I became more intentional about my relationship with God, the more I began to see His hand in EVERY area of my life. He has truly exceeded my expectations and continues to bless me more than I deserve. I want nothing less than His will for me.

I encourage you to reflect on what areas of your life you need to surrender to our Creator. You may think you have everything planned out/figured out/mapped out and in control but the truth is is that control is an illusion. We may think that trying to control things ourselves is going to make us feel better and give us some sort of peace, but the truth is surrendering to God's will is the only way to have that peace that surpasses all understanding.

AR