Control Freak

So sometimes I think we are all… well, control freaks. We have an idea of what we’d like to happen, or something we’d like to have, and we want that exact thing to materialize, when we want it to materialize. And we like to think that we have that power and we have that control.

In a day of the “I am all powerful” movement, this can be our default mentality, and one that can easily seem right. We think that we deserve exactly what we want because we work hard for what we want. We think that believing that we CAN have total control over our lives in order to get and achieve what we want can seem almost noble, as we try to be our best and do our best for the greater good.

Wouldn’t you RATHER the God of the universe be in charge of directing and organizing and providing in your life rather than your own capabilities? When we trust Him, He goes ahead of us, paves the way, gets the opportunities ready, and blocks harm from our path. He’s like a conductor of goodness in your life.

Believe me, I love all of this positivity, go get it, live the fullest life mentality. I’m ALL about that. 

BUT— I’m all about that with the proper context. 

I had a friend recently ask me, how I could really give credit to God for everything when I work so hard for everything that I have and the things that I accomplish. 

It got me thinking about the answer.

To me, I have this innate inner belief that is so unshakeable, that everything I am and everything I have truly comes from God. And yes, I have to work hard, but I believe that God gives me the ability, the energy, the inspiration, the vision, the strength and the opportunity to do all of that. 

I believe God created us to work purposefully on earth in order to accomplish good, and he has given us the ability and opportunity to do so. What we do with it from there, is partly on our shoulders, but when we invite God into our lives and our work, and our pursuits, HIS blessing is all of a sudden on what we are doing. And what we can accomplish with God, is just so far beyond what we could accomplish on our own. Imagine you’re running a race, and you’re running it well, but then if you invite God to run it with you and strengthen you, it’s like all of all of a sudden having rocket boosters on your feet, or unlimited hydration in your body. And you never truly get to experience that, unless you ask God to be apart of your day in and day out, submit it to him for his blessing, and look for his provision. You’ll start to see it. 

You’ll start to see things come together that have to be God, you’ll start seeing favour on your life that you couldn’t have worked hard enough to receive. It’s because God is living and active in our lives. 

He is working behind the scenes in so many ways that we probably won’t even realize until the end of our lives one day. I imagine we’ll have the opportunity to see all the doors he purposely closed, the ones he opened, the people he put in the way and out of the way. 

But God is a LOVING God, a Father, we are his kids. He is FOR us, not against us, has plans to prosper us and not to harm us. He wants more good for us than we could even want for ourselves. 

So with that said, it’s a RELIEF that He is in control, that we can surrender our lives to Him, still work our butts off to accomplish what we want to accomplish in life, but it’s a whole lot easier knowing that we’ve given a perfect God the control to lead, guide and direct us, to open the doors that should open, and close the ones that should be closed. 

Then the pressure is OFF us to figure it all out, and we are FREE to live our the best version of ourselves, STRESS FREE knowing that God is ironing out all the details as we follow him, he’s got it! 

Imagine that there was a physical person that literally had all authority and power on earth, endless resources, and could make literally anything happen, and he was your dad. 

Imagine your dad said, “Hey love, you can choose to do life on your own without the HELP of my authority, the HELP of my direction, the HELP of my resources. But if you’d like them, just let me know.”

When we allow God to lead us in life, it’s kind of a similar picture. We are trusting that he is more powerful, more wise, more able than we are, and we GET TO put our trust, lives, in His much more capable hands than our own.

Do we still get to be an active player in our own lives? OF COURSE! But we get to do so knowing that the creator of the universe has our back and is backing us, supporting us and leading us with a birds eye view of everything, with endless resources to provide for our every need. 

If you haven’t experienced that in your life, than all you have to do is start living with the posture of trusting God. Look for his direction, ask for his help, submit a situation to Him, do as you feel he is leading you  rather than perhaps just your selfish desires. You will see God accomplish things in your life you never could on your own. 

You can do with God in 1 year what would take you 10 years alone.  Or what you could never do alone.

It’s EXCITING that we GET TO, not have to, but GET TO, surrender our lives to God, and live in his BEST WAYS for us. Because remember, he has better things in mind for you than you could even dream up for yourself. He has chosen you, and he has a plan for you, but you have to opt in.

Ashley XOXO