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Not My Own: Surrendering Control to God 

Most of us would never say out loud that we don't trust God. But our actions often tell a different story. When we grip our circumstances tightly, refuse to ask for help, and quietly insist on handling things ourselves, we are living as if God is a backup plan rather than the Lord of our lives.

There is a difference between inviting God into your life and making Him the center of it. Galatians 2:20 draws a clear line between the two.

"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."

- Galatians 2:20 (ESV)

This verse is not just a poetic statement. It is a complete reorientation of identity. Christ does not become a part of your life. He becomes your life. When we put God in a "Sunday only" box or a "when it's convenient" box, we are still living our own agenda with a little Jesus on the side. That is not what He died for.

Why Do We Keep Trying to Control Everything?

The honest answer is that we believe we can handle it. We think that if we stay in control, things will turn out better. We are not necessarily saying God is unfaithful. But when we insist on keeping our hand on every situation, that is exactly what we are communicating.

We want God to be our supplier without being our direction. We want His power behind our plans. But that is not the life described in Scripture.

Jesus said it plainly in Matthew 16:24-25:

"If anyone would come after me, let Him deny Himself and take up His cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

That sounds frightening at first. Nobody naturally wants to give up who they are. But what remains after you lay yourself down is not nothing. It is who you are in Christ, and that is far greater than who you were without Him.

What You Gain When You Let Go

Surrender is not loss. It is the only path to freedom.

When you yield control to Christ, you gain more of His power, more of His joy, and a deeper alignment with His purpose for your life. The return on what you give up is exponential.

Think back over the last few years. Has God changed how you respond to bad news? Has He shifted how you handle conflict, fear, or disappointment? That transformation is not the result of your own striving. It is the evidence of His work in you.

"And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

- Philippians 1:6 (ESV)

Too often we are so focused on what comes next that we forget to look back and recognize what He has already done. There is a tendency many of us share. When a problem shows up, we immediately jump into fix-it mode. We research, we plan, we mobilize resources, and we move fast. The intention is good. But without God's direction, even good intentions can miss the mark.

Moses understood this. He told God plainly that He would not move forward without His presence. That is the posture we need. Not "God, take the wheel when I can't handle it anymore" but "God, keep the wheel. You always had it."

The idea that we are in control is an illusion. Believing we can fix our families, resolve every conflict, and secure our futures by ourselves is like a child turning a steering wheel in a parked car with the engine off. The wheel moves a little, but nothing is going anywhere.

"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

- Matthew 19:26 (ESV)

What to Do With the Worry

Jesus addressed anxiety directly in Matthew 6:25, reminding His followers not to be consumed with worry over food, drink, or clothing. These are real concerns. He is not dismissing them. He is pointing to something bigger.

God provides for birds and flowers without them worrying. How much more will He provide for you?

The answer to worry is not simply "stop worrying." It is to actively invite His presence and trust His intervention. It is to say, "I need You to step in, and I am okay with that because You are better at this than I am."

And then, as Matthew 6:33 instructs:

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

The key is not to seek the kingdom so that God will give you what you want. It is to seek the kingdom because He is what you need. When you pursue His reign in your life, He takes care of everything else. He is not going to call you to advance His kingdom and then leave you without what you need to do it.

Surrender Is Not a One-Time Decision

Yielding control to Christ is not something you do once at an altar and then it is settled. It is a daily practice. Every day requires an intentional choice to say, "Jesus, where are You not Lord of my life? Let's work on that."

It means showing up to work in this life you now live. It means going home at the end of the day in this life you now live. It means letting Him be Lord of your thoughts, your responses, your plans, and your fears, not just Lord of the things that are easy to hand over.

The peace that comes from this is real. It is the peace described in Philippians 4, the kind that transcends understanding. It does not come from doing more or trying harder. It comes from yielding to the One you are already praying to.

Life Application

This week, take time to sit with God and honestly identify one area of your life where you are still holding the wheel. It might be a relationship, a career decision, a fear you have been managing on your own, or a situation involving someone you love. Bring that specific area to God in prayer and practice releasing it to Him, not as a last resort, but as a first response.

Ask yourself these questions as you reflect:

  • What is one area of my life I am most afraid to surrender to God?
  • How has my need to control my circumstances affected my peace of mind?
  • If God is truly the Lord and owner of my life, how should that change the way I approach my current challenges?

You were not designed to carry all of this. The life you now live was never meant to be lived alone. Yield the wheel, and trust the One who has always been more than capable of holding it.