Five-minute read.
See if there is any offensive way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:24
Lead me.
David ends his psalm with one request: lead me in the way everlasting. Search my heart, remove offensive ways, and lead me on the path of righteousness. Typically, when I close my morning prayers, I utter something like:
“God, guide and direct me. Take me where You want me to go. Don’t let me miss anything You have for me. My life is Yours.”
Such relief washes over me as I relinquish control to God. Trying to run the world exhausted me. No one ever did what I wanted; heartache and disappointment my constant companion. But letting go and trusting God’s sovereignty relieves my anxiety of needing control.
“I’m the saved, not the Savior.” One phrase reminds me of my place in the world. As a fixer, I desire to make things better for people. When one of my best friends, Lynda, lost her son at the hands of a trigger-pulling robber, I wanted to take away her pain, but I couldn’t. Walking through the past five years with her has taught me much about God’s sovereignty and the sin that exists in the world.
“Just show up,” Mike said in his message soon after his son’s death. Husband of Lynda and my pastor, I will never forget his words. Speaking to the Sunday morning crowd, Mike told us how we could help them persevere through the unspeakable tragedy that took Bryan’s life.
But I found showing up challenging. Having never processed my grief from my nephew’s passing, seeing Lynda’s grief seemed unbearable. And so, I entered into therapy to help me work through these life events that shook my world and caused me to ask, “Why God?” The Lord led me on the path of righteousness with the help of a trained Christian counselor.
“I want to live life to the fullest, and I’m not,” I responded to the therapist when she asked why I came. Our first session centered around learning to let go; she sent me home with the following poem:
LETTING GO
(Author unknown)
To “let go” does not mean to stop caring; it means I can’t do it for someone else.
To “let go” is not to cut myself off; it’s the realization I can’t control another.
To “let go” is not to enable but to allow learning from natural consequences.
To “let go” is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hands.
To “let go” is not to try to change or blame another; it’s to make the most of myself.
To “let go” is not to care for but to care about.
To “let go” is not to fix but to be supportive.
To “let go” is not to judge but to allow another to be a human being.
To “let go” is not to be in the middle arranging the outcomes but to allow others to affect their own destinies.
To “let go” is not to be protective; it’s to permit another to face reality.
To “let go” is not to deny but to accept.
To “let go” it not to nag, scold or argue, but instead to search out my own shortcomings, and correct them.
To “let go” is not to adjust everything to my desires but to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.
To “let go” is not to criticize and regulate anybody but to try to become what I dream I can be.
To “let go” is not to regret the past but to grow and live for the future.
To “let go” is to fear less and love more.
Application:
Fear less, love more.
Asking the Lord to lead me allows me to let go and let Him. No longer do I try to control the world around me; instead, I enjoy it. Living in the moment helps me live life to the fullest. Accepting God’s sovereignty reminds me of my place in the world and helps me fulfill my purpose.
I’m the saved, not the Savior. As a person saved by grace, I must follow the One who saved me to continue on the path of righteousness. In His time, God will reveal our journey according to His will. In return, the Lord asks for a devoted and humble heart that will follow. In Him, we can trust.
Journaling Questions:
- How much do you struggle with letting go of control?
- What can you do today to let the Lord lead you?
- In what ways does God’s sovereignty help you live life to the fullest?
Prayer:
Lord, forgive us for trying to control the world, acting as Savior instead of saved. As we move forward from David’s Psalm, let us remember the lessons You taught us. Help us embrace Your sovereignty and follow You wholeheartedly. Let us fulfill our purpose, becoming more like Christ each day, as we love You unconditionally. God bless our efforts, let Your favor reign in our lives, and let us represent You well to the world around us. All glory and honor to You. IJNIP. Amen
