Giving Control to God: 8 Life-Changing Ways to Let Go
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 giving control to God, 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 was doing in my walk with God and where I felt stuck and discouraged in life.
I told her that I sensed God calling me to stop clinging to control. I also noted that giving control to God is always easier said than done.
Giving Control to God
“A word is coming to mind,” she offered. “Release.”
The word resonated immediately.
If I could release my desire to control my future, my children, my hopes, and my career, I might move into a new realm of trusting God.
There might be an entirely new kind of freedom ahead.
Dear friend, I don’t know what you might need to release today, but the following eight ways of giving control to God are helping me surrender to him. Perhaps these insights will help you let go, too.
8 Insights on Giving Control to God
1. Giving control to God begins with learning to embrace interruptions.
Do you struggle when your agenda is interrupted?
Do you get upset when plans fall apart, or the needs of someone close to you change the flow of your day?
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 Share on XWe 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. We give control to God by trusting him with our futures.
There’s nothing wrong with making plans. Meanwhile, God wants us to follow him more than we follow our rigid five-year plans. I’ve been known to become so set on completing my plans that I miss God’s divine direction.
I ask this gently today: Are you following God, or are you following your plans?
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. We release control to God by surrendering our most precious loved ones into his trustworthy hands.
I like to believe 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 to help 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. These words are true for your loved ones, too.
The Lord will not abandon his children. Keep praying, trusting, guiding, and releasing your loved ones into his hands.
4. Giving control to God includes releasing 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.
Part of giving control to God includes releasing shame into his hands as we find our identities as his children. Meanwhile, we stand on this truth: Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus . . . Romans 8:1
5. Giving control to God includes releasing 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 affects the entire body, mind, and spirit.
If you are struggling to forgive someone in your life today or dealing with bitterness, take steps to find freedom and healing. Ask God to help you release bitterness and unforgiveness to him. In return, he wants to fill you with peace.
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. We release control to God when we follow him into discomfort.
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 a while. 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. Giving control to God includes releasing expectations for others into his hands.
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. We can release control by giving up our conditions for following God.
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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