The Illusion of Control - Portrait of Surrender by TheFenixFireShop on DeviantArt
Proverbs 19:21 (NIV): "Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails".Isaiah 26:3 (NIV): "You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you"."Announcing your plans is a good way to hear God laugh" - Al Swearengen (Deadwood)Two of our biggest fears are what lurks in the dark and what's to come in the future. That fear can cause us to unnecessarily worry, become anxious and attempt to prepare for a near infinite number of potential scenarios that never happen the way you prepared for, if they happen at all. That kind of fear will rob you of your peace of mind, which in turn robs you of the joy of living. God didn't give us a spirit of fear. He asks you to trust in Him so that He may carry you through the dark. He has carried me through the fire more times than I can recall. So many times that I do not fear the dark nearly as much anymore because he's given me the courage to stand in the face of it and not be moved. That is why I can speak of this with such conviction. After years of anxiety and fear of what is potentially out there and what could happen in the future, I began to see that no matter how much I tried to prepare for and control outcomes, they never went the exact way I thought they would. Sometimes, the outcome was not what I wanted at all but put me on a new path, sometimes they were devastating outcomes that I never saw coming but taught me valuable lessons in hindsight, and sometimes they were better than anything I could have ever dreamed of. It wasn't until I let Jesus Christ into my heart and take the wheel that fear was replaced by a sense of wonder and excitement for what comes next. The trust and faith I put in Him has given me the freedom to accept things as they come and understand that trying to stay on the narrow path is the best plan for our lives and the outcomes we want. We will definitely stumble and sometimes lose our way, but as long as you keep Him at the forefront of your mind and heart, you can always find your way back to His light. I love every single one of you! God bless you in the Mighty name of Jesus Christ. Peace and blessings be with you, always.
