Yielding Control

Read: Romans 8:1-11

To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. —Romans 8:6

During a visit with a friend suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease, I asked what lessons God was teaching her as she traveled down this difficult road. Her immediate response was, "Loss of control."

She had always been a highly organized, independent person whose corporate job involved long hours and frequent travel. Now she had to depend on others for everything from getting dressed to brushing her teeth. Unable to move her arms or legs, she had control over only what she thought and what she said. She knew that soon she would even lose her power of speech. "I used to stress over my job," she said, "and never really gave it to the Lord. Now, with almost all control gone, I can stress about [my physical limitation] or surrender it to Christ."

The question facing each of us is, "Will I retain control of my life or yield it to the Lord today?" To live only for what I want is to be controlled by the sinful nature. Paul said that this leads to death, "but to be spiritually minded is life and peace" (Romans 8:6).

To one degree or another, we will all lose control of our lives as we grow older. Yielding control to God is a choice we can make every day—starting today. —David McCasland

Although I may not understand
The path You've laid for me,
Complete surrender to Your will—
Lord, this my prayer shall be. —Sherbert
© 1978 William F. Sherbert

True freedom comes not from choosing our way, but from yielding to God's way.

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