Day 7 | HELP! I DON’T HAVE CONTROL!!!

Hey yall! Have you ever been or are you in a space now where you’re losing control? Losing control of friends, family, relationships, etc? If you’re in that space now or have been there before, great! If you haven’t experienced this before, buckle your seatbelts! 

Most of us know Proverbs 3:5-6 where it says Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding.^[a]In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way]. Naturally whether you are a believer or not, the places where you’ve put yourself without the Lord’s permission could start out smooth but end up shaky. Likewise, the spaces where God has sent you could start out smooth but because of pride and underlying motives it could end up shaky. Even the places where God has sent you and all is going well with no ulterior motive could still end up being shaky! What is the message in all three of the instances? I’ll tell you. GOD IS TRYING TO GET YOUR ATTENTION!!!

In the instance where you’re in the space God never told you to go, He’s trying to get your attention to gain control of your life! God knows what’s best for us even though we can have our lives already planned out. As long as you have breath in your lungs the Lord will always reach out through people and situations to gain control of your life. You may look at it as a setback but a wise man once said God will bring you to the bottom just for you to realize that He’s the rock at the bottom! A huge part of dying to self is stripping you of you and fully surrendering to His will and way for your life. 

In the space where God sent you but things are off because of pride and underlying motives, God wants you to return to Him! You may have started off right but you’ve now lost sight of who sent you because of what you’ve been able to attain. We have to realize the things we are able to attain are only because of God and gifts are given without repentance! In this case you can find yourself in a spiral without God’s control. We have to realize in itself that self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and without that fruit we are going rouge without realizing it! Based on life’s many experiences and God’s word I’ve came to understand the only thing that matters is what you do for God. Give God your full control so you can be fully effective for Him! 

In those spaces where the Lord sent you and all is well with no pride or motive in sight, when things start to shake just know God is about to shift you! Don’t get used to the familiar or what you currently know. God wants to use you EXACTLY how he sees fit! Let’s look at 2 Timothy 2:21 which references how we are just vessels to be used by God. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things [which are dishonorable—disobedient, sinful], he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified [set apart for a special purpose and], useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. When we view ourselves in this matter we know that He is the potter and we are the clay. Wherever He wants us to go we will go! Don’t let the fear of the unknown stop you from HIs purpose and plan! 

Today’s Reflection Questions:

1. What does it look like/how does it feel when I’m losing control.
2. How willing am I to give the Lord full control of my life. 

Devotional Written By: PATRICK BARNES