No Control, No Problem

In life it seems like most people are on a constant quest to gain control. We want what we want and would love for everyone else to agree and want the same. Most people feel that if their world is in check and they understand and have control of all of it then they are doing good. I personally have come to realize, however, that the harder I try to control outside circumstances or try to manage peoples reactions or responses to the things I say or do, the less in control I actually feel. More over, it really makes me feel like I’m going crazy. Trying to control everything, everyone and every aspect of your world is a perfect set up of unrealistic expectations. Not only are they unrealistic but it is impossible. These unrealistic expectations will inevitably lead to stress, anxiety, frustration, disappointment and unhappiness. There are just some things in life that we have no control over. Life is full of the unexpected. It’s important to understand that the need to control is actually a fear based response to uncertainty. I have always said, we may not be able to control everything that happens to us, but we have 100% control of how we choose to respond to it. Even in the most seemingly unfavorable circumstances we are called to rest in the fact that, what the enemy meant for evil, God meant for good. We choose to believe that our God is in control. When I stopped seeking control and just allowed things to be as they are, I actually gained control of the peace level in my life. I believe in order to gain the true level of peace we all long for, we need to learn to let go of a lot of things that we are tirelessly trying to control. You cannot grab ahold of something new, if you cannot let go of something else. The next time you are trying to control something that does not seem to be working out for you, take a step back and determine if it is something that God would probably do a better job of managing for you. Holding on to the need to control will hold you back from receiving some of God’s greatest blessings.