8 Life-Changing Ways to Let Go of Control
Morning’s first rays of light slip through the curtain panels like beacons of hope. “Lord, help me to let go of control and surrender my life to you today,” I pray.
I’ve been on a journey of exchanging control for surrender, and every day is an invitation to begin again.
My journey began a few months ago when a friend came to visit and asked hard questions. She wanted to know how I’m doing in my walk with God and where I feel stuck and discouraged in life.
I didn’t really want to tell her, but I stammered through the words anyway. Words about living with white knuckles and trying to control every last detail of my life.
Letting Go of Control
When I finished stammering, she looked at me and said it. She spoke the word release.
Release. The word resonated immediately. Yes, if I could release these white knuckles, the potential seems quite limitless. If I could release my control over my future, my children, my hopes, and my career. If I could release any last traces of shame, bitterness, and defeat. . . .
There might be an entirely new kind of freedom ahead.
My friend has long since gone home, and I now sit with a snacking boy, Paw Patrol blaring on the TV screen, and that white light is still slipping through the curtains. I offer my first prayer for release, and this begins a journey that will carry me for months and possibly years. Possibly forever.
It’s the daily journey of asking the Lord to reveal what he wants me to release and what truth might come to fill my empty hands and longing heart.
Whether the sun slips white through your window or whether you’re in the midst of a cloudy season with no end in sight, today’s post is for the white-knuckled graspers: The ones who hold onto things and have quite a hard time letting go of control.
8 Insights on Letting Go of Control
I don’t know what you might need to release today, but here are 8 areas that might strike a chord, followed by the truth that can come to fill your empty hands.
1. God calls us to release control of our schedules.
Do you struggle when your agenda is interrupted?
Do you get upset when plans fall to the wayside, traffic is jammed, or the needs of someone close to you change the flow of your days?
Every time you feel frustrated over an interruption, use your feelings of frustration as a prompt to practice releasing control to the One who actually orchestrates your schedule.
Every time you feel frustrated over an interruption, use your feelings of frustration as a prompt to practice releasing control to the One who actually orchestrates your schedule. #surrender Click To TweetWe replace our grip on control over our schedules as we receive this truth: In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9
2. God calls us to release control of our futures.
Do you have a 5-year-plan?
While there is nothing wrong with making plans (making plans honors God), when we are so rigid in our planning that we cannot accept a detour from the Lord, it is time to release control to him again.
We replace our sense of control over the future with this truth: Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21
3. God wants us to let go of control regarding our children.
I say I have entrusted God with the lives of my children, but when one of them faces a life-threatening diagnosis, when a decision looks like it’s about to derail one of their lives, or when my best efforts fail in helping produce change in one of my children, I have to learn to release control all over again.
The truth about God’s plans for my children can be found here: The LORD will vindicate me; your love, LORD, endures forever – do not abandon the works of your hands. Psalm 138:8.
The Lord will not abandon your children. Keep praying, trusting, guiding, and releasing.
4. God wants you to release shame.
Shame creeps into our lives as a lingering sense that we can never be good enough.
Shame mocks us for past decisions and tells us we are failing in our present callings.
We replace the lies of shame in our lives when we find our identities as beloved children of God and stand on this truth: Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus . . . Romans 8:1
5. God wants us to release bitterness and unforgiveness.
Are you angry with someone who offended you weeks, months, or years ago?
Sadly, when we hold onto unforgiveness, bitterness grows. Bitterness is a poison to the soul, and it will affect the entire body, mind, and spirit.
If you are struggling to forgive someone in your life today, or if you struggle with bitterness, take steps to find freedom and healing.
Stand on this truth: See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:15
6. God calls us to let go of the desire to pursue excessive comfort.
We live in a culture where comfort is idolized.
Do you put your comfort above the call to go and make disciples?
Do you hesitate to follow God into places that feel uncomfortable to you?
Sit with the Lord and dwell on these questions for awhile, and keep this truth in mind: Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23
7. God invites us to let go of control when it comes to expectations.
Are you frustrated with someone close to you?
Are you upset because your husband, roommate, best friend, boss, or mother is not living up to your expectations?
Let go of control by recognizing that Jesus is big enough to touch this person’s heart in his timing.
Stand on this truth while you wait, pray, and release: Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13
8. God invites us to let go of control by giving up our conditions for following him.
Without realizing it, some of us have put conditions on following God.
We commit to following him only to certain geographic regions, jobs, and callings.
Pause to ask God if there are any areas in which he is calling you to release your desire for control over where you will or will not follow him.
Stand on this truth: If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26
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I don’t know what you need to release today, but will you walk in the promise that letting go can be the first step to the greatest kind of abundant life?
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