Give Up Control

Luke 1:³⁸ “Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” (NIV, emphasis added).

We overestimate our ability to control. If you think about it, you really do not control the major things in your life. The truth is you do not control the biggest events in your life. You do not control the day you were born or the day you die. You do not control if you will sleep or when exactly you sleep, you just sleep. Guess what? You do control if you will wake up. Neither do you control when you will wake up. You can set up an alarm, but many people’s alarms went off and they did not get up. So, you need to learn God’s way of letting go. You need to let go of control.

Oftentimes, we overestimate our ability to control and underestimate God’s ability to supply. Are you disturbed and confused? If you are disturbed and confused, it is mostly rooted in the desire to control which is rooted in fear. You wanted to have just three children but the fourth one came, so you are disturbed and confused. It is called a bonus child. Or you wanted to have children, but you are struggling to conceive, so you are disturbed and confused. Maybe there is a health challenge or a financial challenge, so you are disturbed and confused.

Mary had to choose between her plans and God’s purpose. Mary was a young girl, a teenager who had plans. I do not want to get into the theology of marrying in the teenage years for women. But I would say the earlier a woman gets married the better, biology tells us that. Mary let go of her plans for God’s purpose. Beautiful! I am sure she had dreams of being that girl walking down the aisle in marriage. But that never happened, at least not until after the first child was born, that is if it ever happened. God disrupted her life, but she let go of her dreams for God’s destiny. She let go of her desire to control, for God’s desire to supply. God will supply all your needs. Even though Mary did not understand God’s plan, she chose to trust that God had a purpose, a destiny, and a supply for her. You need to get to the point that even though you do not understand the workings, you can trust the heart of God.

We mostly clinch on to things, people, and relationships we want to control. And we say, ‘Let me be’. But for you to experience the freedom that is in God you need to release that hand and say like Mary did, ‘Let it be’. Let it be according to Your Word. What are you trying to control that is outside of your control? Is it your relationship, image, children’s future, spouse, perfection, or your reputation? What are you trying to control? It is outside of your control. Let go and let God!

Prayer: Father, I choose to let go of my plans for the destiny You have for me. I choose to let go of control and lean into Your supply, in the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen!