Are you trying to take control of your life, but feeling out of control and anxious in the process? As Christians we say we trust God, but then proceed to white-knuckle our lives and completely forget about the principle of surrender. Jennifer Dukes Lee is no stranger to the struggle of letting go.
“We have become scarily self-sufficient. We manage our lives instead of living them. We got mobile devices to track the kids, pain management for whatever hurts, etc.”
“Yet, statistically, Americans are among the most anxious people in the world.”
Trying to control every aspect of our lives rarely brings the control that we are seeking. Instead there is the adverse effect that causes us to become more weary and anxious than ever. Jennifer shares from her personal struggle with control.
“I didn’t really trust God as much as I said I did, even as a woman in ministry. I wanted to manage all of the outcomes. And I realized I was living by fear instead of by faith. I knew that in order to really live the life of faith that God was calling me to, I was going to have to let go of what I had my hands around.”
“God cannot put anything into closed fists, so I had to open my hands so that I could really receive what God wanted to put into my hands.”
In our attempts to manage our own lives, we attempt to micro-manage our relationship with God. But instead of putting God in a box on our daily to-do list, Jennifer suggests that we turn every aspect of our lives over to Him on a continual basis.
“God is not an item on our list, our list is in the hands of God. Everything is made in partnership with God; the things that I’m doing, the way that I parent, the way that I respond to emails, what decisions I make about the doctor that I’m going to see next week, and how I’m going to respond when my aging parents need help with some things in their lives.”
“If we take God off of our to-do list and hand Him the whole thing, it’s like a strategic, spiritual switcheroo. It’s saying, God, You hold all things together. You can handle everything on my list. You aren’t just a piece of the list, You’re the holder of it.”
By placing our lives completely in God’s hands, we have an opportunity to practice the faith that we live by. We will be able to overcome our anxieties and experience the peace of God knowing that He is the One who holds it all together.
Jennifer Dukes Lee is author of several books including The Happiness Dare and It’s All Under Control. She is a popular blogger, writer for Dayspring’s (in)courage, and a speaker at women’s conferences across the United States.
Leave it in God's hands
