Letting Go of Control and Inviting God to Work

Every day, you have to decide who’s going to be in control of your life—you or God.

That choice is a battle. There are things in your life that you want to control; you want to make your own rules. But stress relief always starts with letting God be God. It always starts with saying, “God, I’m giving up control, because you can control the things that are out of control in my life.”

Psalm 46:10 says, “Let go of your concerns! Then you will know that I am God. I rule the nations. I rule the earth” (GW).

I don’t know what you’re going to face in the next week. You don’t either. But I can already tell you what God wants you to do: Let go and know.

Let go of control, and know that God is in control. Let go and know! This is the first step to peace in your life. Surrender doesn’t mean you stop caring or become passive—it means you stop carrying the weight that was never yours to carry in the first place.

Whenever people face out-of-control situations, we tend to go to one of two extremes. For some people, the more out-of-control your life gets, the harder you try to control it. Others do the exact opposite: You just give up! You have a pity party and invite yourself to it.

Both of those reactions to stress are foolish. They don’t work. Instead of being a victim or becoming hyper-controlling, you need to pray a prayer of surrender. When you do, you open the door for God’s peace to flow in—a peace that doesn’t depend on your circumstances but on His presence.

Why surrender? The number one reason you’re under stress is because you’re in conflict with God. You’re trying to control things that only God can control. You can’t control your spouse or your kids or your job or your future or your past or any of that stuff. The more you try, the more you’re trying to play God, and that puts you in opposition to God. Not only are you going to lose that conflict, but you’re also going to be tired.

There is power when you surrender to God the very things you’ve been trying to control. You may not see change immediately, but you will notice your heart feels lighter. That’s God, stepping in to carry what you no longer have to.

So, I encourage you to let go this week. Let go of control and invite God to work in your life instead. Keep your focus on HIM, and HE will direct your steps. Keep your focus on HIM, and HE will help you overcome your struggles. Keep your focus on HIM, and HE will change your circumstance OR he will change you or give you the strength you need to get through anything. You don't get anywhere by focusing on what's overwhelming you. You focus on God. You don't try to fix, you hand it to him and pray that he will fix it.

He is the key to peace... but first, you have to let go of control and put your focus on him.