“ The cure for our problems comes in strange forms;
it comes through admitting weakness and through a humble heart.”
John Baker
Why was this so hard for me to do? I wanted to be “normal” so badly; and be a functioning member of society. I had already lost so much. It was pretty clear to everyone around me that I was powerless over my drug addiction. Every day I said to myself “ today I flush the bottle ” I can control this. I will just cut back, taper off, I don’t have to quit all together. Do I ? Sure I’ve lost every friend I had and my husband has to pick up the pieces of this mess, but I can control this.
What a lie straight from the father of lies. If I could’ve controlled it and quit on my own I would have. The first step to freedom is simply admitting we are powerless over EVERYTHING ……I can’t, He can, I think I’ll let Him. I heard this early in my sobriety. How can something so simple be so hard? It doesn’t have to be if we hand over the power to the One Who created us. That’s really how He made us…to need Him. To let Him write out our story. To let Him run the show. We cannot control anything, truthfully. Only ourselves and I’ve proven that even that’s hard to do.
I’m taken back to a song that we sang in my childhood “they are weak but He is strong”, anyone remember? The Bible says over and over that in our weakness He is strongest. We must admit our weakness and rely only on His strength. How do we do this?
Get rid of the pride that has kept us where we are for so long. The pride that kept us from getting the help we need. Pride keeps us in our struggles and makes us completely unteachable, unchangeable, a mess. It must go for God cannot exist in a heart full of pride. So here’s where God’s grace comes in and begins the healing process. We ask Him to get rid of the ugly and fill us with the beautiful… Him. He gives us the ability to be teachable and to daily die to self and let Him have complete control. We cannot go back and change anything. As haunting as those memories can be, we have to consciously take each one and give it to God and let Him continue the work that He started in us a long while ago.
Psalm 18:18-19 says, “ they attacked me at a moment of weakness , at a moment when I was weakest, but The Lord upheld me, He lead me to a place of safety, He rescued me because He delights in me.”
Oh how He delights in YOU. Oh how He loves YOU. If you’re struggling today with a hurt, habit, or hang up, and your life is completely unmanageable, go to the One Who longs to manage it for you. Name your hurt or habit and surrender it today. He wants to give you an abundant life. A joyful life and He’s ready for you to come back.
*****
Let’s Pray:
Dear Heavenly Father, We come to You today praising You for Your grace that has set us free. That when we are weak, You step in and give us Your strength. We ask You today for the courage to admit our lack of control and the willingness to hand it over to you. We are so tired of trying to go this alone. And for the ones still struggling, Lord, I pray that You wrap Your arms around them, keep them safe until they are ready to say “I can’t, You can, and I’m ready to let You. In Jesus precious name we pray, AMEN
Assignment:
What do you need to let go of today, to lose control of? write it down and literally place it in God’s hands. Share with the group if you wish? We are all on this road together!
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About Kim Spring
Wow Kim – my heart was truly blessed this morning as I read your blog. I sit here and look at the word 'trust' and say – ok I can do this. I can't, He can and I will let Him. Except in this area…. or maybe I should help with this. Knowing that He is in control of EVERYTHING. Although I have completed this study before, it is amazing how I can look back and see He has brought me to a different place of abandonment. Love it but ouch!! Kind of like the saying – No pain, no gain. Love that you said, "He gives us the ability to be teachable and to daily die to self and let Him have complete control." Daily I can stand up and say – ok God I am giving it ALL to you. 🙂
You're so right Laurie. This is such a great way to know Gods heart for us. As we give up our will daily to do His. I used to pray in early sobriety just to be willing to be teachable.
Beautiful Kim! Handing my problems over was the hardest thing ever for me to do. Giving up trying to control my hurts was tough. I remember praying to God to help me to do that. Once I started, I began receiving healing. The Lord helped me to forgive myself and forgive those who hurt me. My heart started to drastically change. I still hold on sometimes but when I finally give up and give it all over to Him, He takes it! I am so thankful today that I believe He wants to do this for me and does! Great blog, thank you for sharing:)
Oh Leslie!! So true!! I still hold on to so much and I know how easy it would be to just trust God and let Him have it. Thank you for your comment. I sure love you girl!
We ask Him to get rid of the ugly and fill us with the beautiful… Him. – <3 this! Sounds so easy but in reality it is more difficult. My pride does so much damage, has made such an ugly mess of things. Giving Him my ugliness in exchange for His beauty <3
Yes yes yes. His beauty. We just fall into Him. He loves us so much and wants so badly to have all of us. Thank you for sharing your heart today!
Kim, beautiful words, powerful words, and such TRUTH behind each one! It is so true that the thing we need to do most sometimes is the hardest! I always say God turns the hard things into easy things for me! I love God so so much for that and much much more:)
Oh Diane. You're so right. I think practicing total surrender is a life change and letting God take us and mold us to be exactly the instrument He needs for the kingdom and for the joyful abundant life He promises requires dying to self and stepping into His path for us!!
Sometimes letting go and giving it all to God is scary because what we are letting go of … is all we've ever known. It's our comfort zone. It's what we know. So when fear takes over in these areas, it could be just a matter of saying "Jesus, I know I need to do this, but I'm scared. This is all I have ever known; it's what makes me feel normal, because this is the only normal I've ever known. I need You to help me do this, because I know I can't do it on my own." It's like learning to drive a car for the very first time. There are things about the car that you need to learn….but the most important thing about the car is the steering wheel, because that is the part of the car that is going to lead you in the right direction. Jesus is that steering wheel. And by letting Him take that wheel, we KNOW we will head in the right direction! Hope that makes sense.
Amen Christi. Amen.