Letting Go Of Control

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:21)

When I was a little girl, one of my favorite things to do was to sit in my dad’s lap and drive our car up the driveway. Anytime we would get a minute or two out from arriving home, I would perk up and ask, “Dad, can I drive?” And so many times, my sweet dad would say yes, put the car in park at the end of the driveway, and let me take the wheel.

Keep in mind, I started doing this when I was probably around 7-years-old, so I couldn’t reach the pedals. All I could do was turn the steering wheel. But boy did I love knowing that I was directing the car wherever I wanted it to go. However, because I trusted my dad, I knew that if I got close to running off one side of the driveway, he would hit the breaks. As much as I enjoyed having control of the wheel, I knew deep down that I wasn’t in complete control.

Oh, to have that kind of childlike trust…

Whether we admit it or not, we all have a desire to be in control. We not only want to have control of each aspect of our lives, but we also want to have control over the timing of everything that happens in our lives as well. We think we know what’s best, so if we’re in control, our life will turn out exactly how we want it to.

But as much as you want to be in control of your life, there comes a time when you have to yield to your Father, understanding that He is in ultimate control. You must acknowledge that you don’t know what’s best, but your Heavenly Father does, and therefore He is worth trusting.

In a way, it was an illusion to my 7-year-old brain that I was in control of the car I was “driving.” Looking back now, I know full well that my dad wasn’t about to let me wreck the car into a tree or drive it down the hill in our front yard. Even though my hands were technically on the wheel, my dad was in complete control, and the same is true with our Father in heaven.

We may think we have control. We may think we have all the answers, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. However, that isn’t cause for us to worry, panic, or get discouraged. Instead, it’s cause for us to have peace, comfort, and joy because we serve a sovereign God who holds everything in His hands. And because of that truth, it would be in our best interest to trust Him, surrender to Him, and submit to His lead in every aspect of our lives.

Now don’t get me wrong, submitting and yielding to the Lord rather than trying to control everything is not an easy task. In fact, it’s much easier said than done. We would much rather grab life’s metaphorical steering wheel than sit in the passenger’s seat. But as you continue to follow Christ and pray for His guidance and direction, trust me - surrendering control will become a little easier, and you’ll begin taking more steps down the path God has designed just for you.