Letting go...

I like being in control. I’m a natural leader and I like managing situations. As a manger I manage people, clients and difficult situations every day and I often have to take control of situations to manage difficult problems. So managing and controlling became natural to me and I’m sure this spills over into my personal life. I always have to be aware of this and I can often put pressure on myself to manage all areas of my life perfectly.

God gives us tasks or puts us in situations beyond our control, because He knows that with Him we can do far more than on our own. God puts us in these situations because He knows that it is not humanly possible to cope on our own and that we have to hold on to Him. He does this so that at the end of the task or journey, when we obtain the victory, we can say “All the glory to God! There is no way that I could have done this on my own.” We say this not with false humility, but because we know how many times God had to carry us through. He is interested in His glory and making His name famous. He is God, is He not? And we have the privilege to be used in the process.

The problem comes in when He gives us a difficult situation or a large task and we start off trusting Him and it’s all going well and then one day we get busy, tired or stressed. We realise that we have lost some focus and even though the situation was perfectly fine in God’s hands, we start thinking that we have to DO something. Instead of receiving grace and leaving the task with God, we feel the need to jump in, manage and control, but it’s a lost case, because we can never cope with it all on our own. The task or situation wasn’t given to us to cope with on our own in the first place. It is a “you and God” team effort with God doing the directing and you following the lead. As soon as we take control we become overwhelmed and fear, doubt and anxiety takes over our lives. We start to feel inadequate, because the task is overwhelming and the lies start to tell us that we are unworthy, useless and failures.

Let’s look at the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. If you read the story you will realise that Jesus knew that Lazarus was ill and He chose to wait for Him to die, instead of going immediately to heal Him. After hearing of his death, Jesus returns to the tomb where Lazarus has been buried for 4 days and “Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that You always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that You sent me.” When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”” John 11:40-44

Jesus waited for Lazarus to die and made the situation humanly impossible to save. It was hopeless as Lazarus has been dead for 4 days. He knew that God wanted to reveal His glory and He thus raised Lazarus from the dead revealing God's glory.

God is the only one who can raise impossible situations or tasks from the dead. He is the one that saves. “But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in (your) weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

God is committed to His plan, He will never ask us to do it alone and He always finishes that which He started. Let’s hand over our tasks, situations, fears and doubts to God today. He can do the impossible and give us the strength and courage to walk and finish the journey.

Song: Jesus Culture with Martin Smith - Show Me Your Glory / Majesty   (I love the words “Majesty, Your grace has found me just as I am, empty handed, but alive in your hands.”)

Photo credit: favim