Letting go is a lot harder than it sounds. With each passing day this becomes more and more evident. Like most of you, I like to have total control over my life. The thought of allowing someone else to hold the reins is more than a little scary. The obvious questions and statements come to mind: “What if that person messes up?”, “What if something bad happens?”, “What if he doesn’t know what he is doing?” and “But that’s not how I would do it.”

One of the most difficult parts of our walk with God is surrendering control of our lives to Him. We like being in control. When we are in control we know how things are going to end because we can manipulate situations to our advantage. But, when someone else has control over our lives, we cannot see the end and this causes unease and apprehension.

When Paul wrote to the churches in Galatia, he said, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).

As children of God, when we pledge our lives to Christ through the act of baptism, we tell God we are willing to surrender our lives to Him and His cause. This means we are willing to give up control of our lives because we no longer live for self but for God. Baptism implies giving up total control in every area of our lives and allowing God to be the driving force that controls the wheel of our daily lives.

For most of us, this is a struggle. We find it quite difficult to let go of the control. Yet Jeremiah said, “I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps” (Jer. 10:23). The wise man said, “A man’s steps are from the Lord; how then can man understand his way?” (Prov. 20:24).

Who really has control of your life? God or you? Although letting go is hard, giving control to God is best. Maybe it is time for you to relinquish control and give God the seat He deserves in your life.

Now that’s Something to Think About!