Saturday, October 8, 2016

Day 8 Choose Surrender: Control is an Illusion

Control…

I think one of the reasons it is so hard for us to surrender, is that it means we have to give up control. Something I think most of us can admit we aren’t good at doing.

We have been trained early on to set goals and follow those dreams and goals. How many of us have set goals only to find out they aren’t turning out how we envisioned?

Our attempts to control things in our world are seen through trying to control how our children turn out; tracking our life from exercise to how many “likes” we get on a social media post; planning projects, parties and trips…the list goes on and on.

What happens when all this planning doesn’t turn out how we envision? I know for me, the result is anxiety, worry and stress…the list goes on and on.

In the book Choose Joy: Finding Hope and Purpose When Life Hurts, Sara shares with us her experience of trying to be in control of her life, her health, her future. Through this control she shares with us that “it is through the hardest times in her life that she stayed open enough to learn her greatest lesson. Control is an illusion.”

James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

God uses the circumstances in our life to help us grow. If we allow ourselves to be open to what God needs from us, it will change our heart. Through Sara’s circumstances, she not only learned that control is an illusion, she also learned that the only thing she can control is whether she chooses to open her heart. Open her heart to embrace the circumstances she was given so that she could fulfill the mission and purpose God had for her.


Sara’s life is a true example that it works! When we let go of the illusion of control and surrender our lives to the one who is in control, we find peace and joy in this life.
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