Most of us fight God for control– of at least our own body! S.L. shares that submission to His plans is the greatest form of submission… and worship.
“Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You” (Psalm 9:10).
I’ve always struggled with trust and control. I’d often like to think that it is a first-born thing or maybe because I’m a perfectionist. I want things to be up to my standards, right?
The truth is that these are just justifications for something sinful in me. When it comes down to it, I think my plan is better.
It’s often not.
Especially when I start putting my ideas above God’s. I think that it would be wonderful to be healed.
God has different plans.
When I was little, my dad used to tell me a story of a conversation he had with a friend. His friend said that he had been having an ongoing argument with God.
My dad answered, “Well, who do you think is right?”
The problem is that we all think we are right and God is wrong. We’ve had this bent since the fall of mankind when Adam and Eve decided that their plan to eat the fruit was better than God’s. We still argue with Him.
Maybe we are scared of missing out or don’t want the pain involved.
Maybe we don’t want to submit any more. We’ve already submitted when coming to Christ and asking forgiveness and restoration.
Submission though is a continual process through which we give everything over, including our pain. As much as we try, we can’t control it and when we submit it to Him, our vision and values begin to align with God’s.
It is my prayer that I will see things as He sees them. My efforts to control things won’t improve the situation; trusting God will. And even if nothing changes in our illnesses, we can trust that His plan has always been for our hearts to align with His.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for being trustworthy. Your goodness in the midst of pain is something we must cling to. Please help us see things as You see them and help us submit to Your will even when it is hard. Help us remember that Your ways are better than our ways. Amen.
About the author:
S.L. Payne lives with her husband, three permanent sons and foster daughter. She is thankful for God’s faithfulness in her illness as God has used to it help her see Him in everything; the three boys have supplied the humor! She loves writing, photography and laughing with her family. She also writes on her website, uncommongrace.net, where she hopes she can encourage others to live in grace. You can follow her on Twitter @saralynnpayne.
In all honesty, what things are you holding onto that you don’t want to submit to God? Is fear of losing control keeping you from submitting?
It is a real challenge to surrender things over to God when they seem to be falling apart, right? When we turn it over to Him and seem to follow His promptings–and then it just gets worse–did we hear wrong? Or is He just allowing us to grow through the experience? Regardless, we can still define what our life is. We can allow God to write His story on our heart. I hope you find some hope through this song, “Write Your Story” by Francesca Battistelli. It is a daily process to surrender. -Lisa
Chronic Illness Pain Daily Devotionals 