For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are
your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens
are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than
your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-9
What GPS system do I use? A map.
Seriously. The only time I use GPS on my phone is to tell me where I am if I get lost. From there, as long as I have a map, I can figure out how to get to my destination. My dad taught me well. Plant me in a strange city, give me a map and I can figure out how to get to any address you give me. To put it plainly, I don’t trust the GPS.
I treat life the same way. I like to know where I’m going so I can control the outcome. Anybody with me on this? You know, a ten-point plan for my life with mission statement and all. Not necessarily bad, and necessary in many jobs, but when that replaces trusting God, well, it’s time to surrender the helm.
I’m thinking of Peter asking to join Jesus out on the water. One step, two steps…did he look up and see a wave swelling and say to himself, “if I just move two degrees to the left I can stay in control and avoid crashing,” then, with eyes off of Jesus he sunk into the water?
Been there, done that. Too often my eyes are off of God when it comes to what tomorrow holds and focused instead on how I can make things happen. And then I crash, because I have no clue what I’m doing.
Been there, done that. Too often my eyes are off of God when it comes to what tomorrow holds and focused instead on how I can make things happen. And then I crash, because I have no clue what I’m doing.
In this year of becoming less so HE can become more, I want to give up control of what my life will look like down the road. Of all the self-designed plans to make it look a certain way. Of needing to know what is coming tomorrow. But that raises more questions than answers. Surrender doesn’t sound practical.
What does it look like? How do I balance the plans I do have to make (like what I’m cooking for dinner), with surrender to His plans? How do I tell the difference between my plans and His? Jennifer Slattery raised the problem of over-planning and getting in the way of what God wants to do.
But trusting God, letting Him lead without needing to know the outcome? Honestly? It feels a bit like I imagine parachuting out of an airplane would feel like. Although I wouldn’t know, I’ve never done that. And I don’t plan to. There’s that word again. Of course, I’ve never REALLY known the outcome of all my well laid plans. I only fool myself into thinking I can know. I’m rather good at trying to hang on to that illusion.
But plans have a way of falling apart. Then I follow suit because things didn’t go my way.
Instead of each day being good or bad based on if I checked everything off my list, what if I treated each day as a destination? A place and time God has brought me to for the purpose of glorifying HIM? Instead of the day being just a stepping stone in my plans to some future best I have in mind.
Treat each day as a destination.
What if I do what God asks even when it doesn’t make sense?
Truth be told, God’s ways often do not make sense. If everything makes sense, I mean if there is an explanation for everything, it’s all logical and practical, is it possible I am not following the path God has laid out for me? Just thinking.
Truth be told, God’s ways often do not make sense. If everything makes sense, I mean if there is an explanation for everything, it’s all logical and practical, is it possible I am not following the path God has laid out for me? Just thinking.
On paper, this sounds a lot easier than I know the reality will be. I’m sure that in the privacy of my prayer closet, there will be plenty of wrestling matches and tears as I learn this process of letting go of control. Letting go of control is not comfortable. But knowing God, it will be worth it.
What about you?
Do you struggle with letting go and
allowing God to lead?
