Out of Control

In our society today everything is about control.  We are in control of every aspect of our life.  Modern technology sees to that!  On our smart phone we can control our TV programming from across the nation!  We can pay our bills while sitting in traffic.  Thanks to Spotify and Pandora we even have control of our radio!  Gone are the days when we listened to what the radio DJ played.  We pick which songs, what order, and when we want to hear them- We Control!  While control is good, do we allow Christ in?  Do people see Him in everything we do?  Because if you don’t see Christ in what I am controlling then I am in BAD need of a tune up!

Philippians 1:27-28(NIV)

²⁷ Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel ²⁸ without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God

And I hope someone gives me a clue.  Because I am here to tell ya!  Sometimes I just don’t have a clue!  That’s where my friends and family come in.  God gives us accountability partners. Some folks require more than one!  Hello!  That’s me!  I am a lot of work people and I am not ashamed to tell it!  God wants to do something with me and He is cleaning up a big mess so it’s gonna take a big crew!  Gods PIT crew!  Just when I think I have everything under control! I am rolling along doing what I think He wants me to do and BAM  He changes gears and sometimes He fills me so full with His spirit, I literally bounce off the walls!  Gives a whole new meaning to ADHD!  It’s like I try to control myself but when I pray I sometimes forget that, Yes, He answers!  So Sunday morning I prayed, “Lord just fill me so full of your spirit I am running over with it!”  Well do you know what?  And don’t be surprised, hold on to your britches, but HE DID!

Psalm 37:4 (NIV)

⁴ Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart

God knows my heart and right now He is the only one!  Danny was the only person that knew my heart.  Knew it even better than me!  I have prayed and prayed and prayed!  And one day I noticed Oh my goodness, He is listening.  Just when I thought He had given up on me, He was right there waiting for me to finish pouring out my heart!  He waited until I got the whole thing empty!  He wanted it all!  And then I noticed He started filling it back up.  Little by little He took over until one day- this past Sunday- I noticed I was completely out of control!  But the great thing about that was while I was out of control, God was in control!  And oh my, what a feeling!  It’s better than any drug or alcohol high you could ever get!  I couldn’t sit still in my seat, I wanted to meet and greet and just shine for Jesus!  As we sang each song I just knew God was hanging on every note to hear “Oh How We Love”!

 

Colossians 3:16 (NIV)

¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

God is just so good and I know He wants us to have control over our lives, but He wants us to know that when we feel that control slipping we have to turn to Him.  We have to say, OK I know I can’t do this but you can!

Matthew 19:26 (NIV)

²⁶ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

As much as I like having control over my situations in my life, I like giving Him the control so much more!  Because I can’t take care of the messes that I make, but He can!  And when I give Him control and let Him drive me around, WOW!  I don’t have to think about things, I just DO!

Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

I just go and do!  I don’t even make plans anymore.  I literally say, OK God what are we gonna do today?  Where do you want me to go?  How can I help YOU today!  And it never fails, when I give Him the control of my life and follow him wherever, I always receive a blessing.  I always receive far above and beyond anything I could’ve imagined to even ask for.

Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.

God wants us to ask Him to take over our lives, not because He likes control, but because He knows what’s best for us.  He knows how the story ends!  He just wants to help us get there!  I am so glad I have learned His voice and even more thankful that I not only hear it but that I let Him have the control!  After having the control for 47 years and seeing what “I” did, and looking at what He has done with the control after 1 year?!  I am sold!  I am a slow learner when it comes to some things but you don’t have to tell this old girl twice when it comes to allowing the Holy Spirit to have His way!

God has a perfect plan for us.  He never does it all at once just step by step because He wants to teach us to “walk by faith” not by sight.    Anonymous

He is teaching me to walk all over again.  Just as if I was a baby crawling and have just turned toddler age!  I am starting to walk and just as a baby feels like a whole new world has been opened up to them, that’s how I feel!  With Heaven in my view, I can do anything with Christ by my side!  Me out of control= God in control!  Lord, when I forget, help me to remember your promise!

Isaiah 54:10 (NIV)

¹⁰ Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

He has been faithful to me in so many ways!  I know each of you can tell the same stories of His faithfulness, because that’s just who He is!  He is all powerful and can handle anything we dish out!  He wants us to dish it out to Him.  He wants all of our story!

Proverbs 15:23 (NIV)

²³ A person finds joy in giving an apt reply—
and how good is a timely word!

Then after we given Him the story we will give Him the control and He will give us something beautiful!  A fairytale if you will!  Yes I believe Jesus believes in fairytales!  After all the greatest fairytale of all will be when we reach Heaven and look upon His face and know we have an eternity to spend basking in the love of my Lord and Savior!  Now THAT’S a fairytale!

Happy Thanksgiving Y’all!