Why We Need to Let Go of Control
A devotional by Terry Overton
“Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.’ But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.”—Jonah 1:1-3 (ESV)
I do not travel far on this journey, just a mile or two. My morning itinerary includes taking my dog Bella—a miniature gray and white Schnauzer weighing exactly twelve pounds and two ounces—for our early morning walks. I use this time to praise God for His countless blessings of creation. His handiwork surrounds me on my walking path. The busy sound of chattering squirrels, the deep calls of the hooting owls, budding flowers of spring, trees changing to their fall colors, the rising sun reflecting yellow and orange on the water of our lake. All these wonders in God’s creation proclaim the glory of God and showcase His majesty!
More than once, I have returned from our early morning walk inspired to complete the tasks of the day with renewed strength and joy.
My walk with my dog is not always enjoyable or predictable. My adorable pooch is one of the most stubborn pups I have ever had. She does not realize the direction she wants to travel is in the path of an oncoming car or a 150-pound unruly dog. Bella tugs the leash in the opposite direction from where I am leading her, with more force than expected for a tiny dog. I often find myself wondering if I might be like Bella, guided by God and on a safe path, but with ideas of my own. Do I pull the other way and resist the path He wants me to take?
How often have I failed to let Him be in control? How frequently have I fought against what He asked me to do? Just as Jonah in the Old Testament, have I ignored God’s call and gone in the completely wrong direction? I must confess I have. I have fought for control, I thought I knew better, and became impatient, and subsequently, I have run into challenging circumstances or situations.
When I take control, grow impatient, or ignore His guidance, I end up in painful consequences and only then do I ask God, “Why?” Just like Jonah found himself in the belly of a big fish (kind of like God’s version of a “Time Out” for Jonah to be still and reflect about his bad choices and actions), I land in the center of a disaster when I go my own way. And only then do I look back and retrace the steps I took. Why did I take a particular step? Why did I skip that step? Why did I refuse to step forward or turn backward? Why did I resist or ignore? The answer is simple: I thought I was in control. This is an illusion. We are never in control! Our God is always in charge. We might wish for control, but our reasoning is faulty.
The Bible says in Proverbs 16:9 (ESV), “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” God guides us through Scripture and His actions. We see evidence of His control through the unpredictable events of our lives that He allows: illnesses happen, jobs are lost or obtained, financial crises surface, relationships are found or lost, babies are born, and our loved ones die. These are all beyond our control.
I think that the reason why we strive for control is because when we try to surrender our perception of control, it leads to anxiety. We develop fear when we do not know how our situation will end. A lack of power, feeling helpless or hopeless about events in our lives increases our worry. But through prayer and developing a closer relationship with God, we can choose not to become anxious. He has instructed us to hand our anxiety and worry over to Him.
The Bible advises us in 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV), “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” The Word tells us we can let go of the anxiety by letting God handle our worries. He cares for us and does not wish for us to be burdened with fear and worry.
Jonah learned his lesson, and from the inside of the giant fish, he prayed to God, acknowledging how God had blessed him in the past. He told God he would follow His will. Once Jonah found himself on dry land again, he went to Nineveh, obeyed God, and Nineveh was delivered. God had a plan, and nothing Jonah could do would stop the plans He established.
When I struggle for control, the story of Jonah serves as a valuable example. When I am anxious for control, I must remember to thank God for all He has done and turn over my worries to Him. We don’t know the plan or the answers. But God does and that is all we need to know.
Let’s Pray:
Heavenly Father,
In my weakness, I confess I try to take control instead of resting in Your power. Please forgive me when I forget that Your plan is best. Remind me each day that You alone are in control, and Your ways are higher than mine. Teach me to trust Your guidance so that I may grow closer to You and walk in Your will.
In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.
Song of Reflection #1: “I Surrender” by Hillsong. Listen to it here.
Song of Reflection #2: “I Give You My Heart” by Hillsong Worship. Listen to it here.
Song of Reflection #3: “God Has Another Plan” by Babbie Mason. Listen to it here.
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Author Bio:
Terry Overton is a retired university professor of educational and school psychology. She has an Ed.D. in Special Education and a Ph.D. in Psychology.
Her professional experience includes teaching public school, teaching at the university level, and being a college dean.
She has two children, seven grandchildren, and one great granddaughter.
Her previous writing and publication experiences include textbook and journal articles in the fields of special education and school psychology. She now seeks to answer God’s call to share the good news and grow the church by writing Christian books and devotionals.
Over the years, Terry’s books have won the Mom’s Choice Award, Christian Indie Award, Firebird Book Awards, American Writing Winner Awards, Bookfest Winner Awards, Pencraft Award, Reader Views Silver Reviewers Award, and International Book Award Finalist. Her writing examines real world events with a Christian worldview. She enjoys writing for young children, middle grade readers, YA fiction, and adult level novels.
Terry’s background in teaching adults and children shine through her stories that often include a character with educational or learning challenges. Her Christmas series, The Oddball Ornaments, features a box of misfit ornaments who first learn the meaning of Christmas and then discover the meaning of forgiveness. In The Underground Book Readers series, one of the main characters is on the autism spectrum yet is one of the leaders of the group of teens. Book one of a new series, The Messiah Brigade, features an awkward middle school nerd who helps his school turn around a bully gang of kids. Adoption and family issues are the focus of her new book, Charlotte McMaster and the Messenger Angel.
Terry lives in Texas and enjoys reading, taking pictures for devotional posts on social media, visiting with her family, playing golf, and writing.
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Connect with Terry:
Website: https://www.authorterryoverton.com
Blog: https://terryovertonbooks.com
LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/overtont
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