The Myth of Control

I don’t know about you, but I love going on cruises.

Besides getting to see some amazing places and participate in lots of activities on the boat, I especially like the feeling of freedom I get while I’m on a cruise.

First of all, everything is paid for ahead of time, so I don’t even have to carry a purse around if I don’t want to. All I need is my little cruise I.D. card. Then, when I go to eat in the dining room, I can order whatever I want. In fact, I can order however many of whatever I want.

But, the best part is the towels. Oh… the towels.

There’s this wonderful thing that happens on a cruise, where not only do my wet, used towels magically come up off the floor while I’m out, but they also transform themselves into whimsical creatures like a swan or a monkey.

Even though it’s really not a big deal overall, there is a strange freedom and sense of being carefree when you know someone else is going to pick up your towels and you’re not responsible to pay the dinner bill.

Because when it comes down to it, most of us actually like when someone else is in control.

Now, before your inner control freak flips out and clicks out of this post, let me say… I am (or more accurately, was ) a big control freak too. But, that’s how I know what I’m talking about.

Most control freaks like to be in control because they don’t want to be caught off guard. They don’t want things to happen in a way or time that they don’t agree with. They want to keep things running the way they want them to, when they want them to happen.

It gives us a (false) sense of security and safety.

But, what’s ironic about the whole thing is, it’s really kind of a burden. Always trying to be in control. It’s exhausting. Deep down, we want to be able to let go and relax. We just don’t trust the world around us enough to do so.

That’s why something as simple as a day at the spa or a cruise vacation can feel SO exhilarating. Because, for just a little while… we give up control.

We know we don’t have to keep the room super tidy because someone else will come along and do it for us. We know we don’t have to GPS the directions to the next island because we trust that the captain of the ship knows what he’s doing.

It’s freeing.

Yet, when it comes to life we can be so hesitant to give up control.

Now, I’m not saying we should give control of our lives over to any Jim Bob that comes walking down the street. But, we can (and should) trust control of our lives to God.

And not out of obligation either. Out of trust.

Think about it this way… a child doesn’t try to control everything in their life. They trust pretty much everything to their parents - that there will be a roof over their heads, that the lights and water work, that there will be food on the table. They’re not in control of any of it, yet they don’t worry about it either.

Because they trust their parents will take care of it.

So, if a child can trust control to their parents, shouldn’t we be able to trust control of our lives to our Father?

Luke 11:11-13 (ESV) says, “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

If you, as a parent, would only give your child the best, out of love, wouldn’t you expect our Heavenly Father to do the same for you?

Even though many of us think we want control, what we actually crave is security. From the time we are children, we function better with routines, structure and dependability (even if we fight it in our teenage years). It gives us something to trust, something to rely on.

If someone promised you right now, that you could give up control of your life entirely and not have to worry about anything, but instead move forward knowing that things were fully taken care of… would you take them up on it?

Someone already has. God. Through the gift of His son, Jesus.

It’s funny how we can fight for control so desperately, thinking it will bring us freedom, when it actually does the opposite - it keeps us in bondage.

Freedom actually comes when we let go. When we surrender and give up control.

That’s when we can really breathe and relax. Because we know that Someone else is in charge and we can trust Them to do the job better than ourselves.

Because He is faithful.

Because He is for us.

And because He loves us.

Who is in control of your life? You or God?

To receive new blog posts and prophetic words by email, sign up here!