Big Idea: What you attempt to control the most, often shows where you trust God the least.
Scripture: Matthew 6:25-34 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Devotion: It was the first night in the hospital with our first child. He had fallen asleep and was laying in the bassinet when my husband walked over to him and put his ear right next to our little boy’s face. He was listening for his breathing. And he said, “Nothing makes you realize that you’re not in control quite like this.” With every squawk, grunt, and cry, we were at his beck and call. And often, there was nothing we could do about it. He was just moving around, making noise, and learning how to exist outside of the womb he had known for nine months. For us, it was a new exercise in trusting in God’s plan and surrendering to Him.
Is there an area of your life that you find you most often try to control? For me, I long for control in the lives of my kids. For you, it may be finances, your job, your marriage, your familial relationships… the list can go on and on. The truth is, we all long for control. But there is usually an area that stands above the rest when it comes to our desire for control. And often, what we attempt to control the most shows where we trust God the least. Trusting is an act of surrender. So, it is doing your best to steward your finances but surrendering your overall financial situation to the Lord. It is doing your best to disciple your kids while trusting that their salvation belongs to the Lord. It is working hard and with excellence in your job while giving over your desire for promotions or recognition to God.
Usually, the places that we long for control are areas that are really important to us. And surrender means recognizing that those things are not truly ours, which can be an overwhelming feeling. That is why our verses for today are such a beautiful reminder. The Lord cares for the birds of the air, providing them with food. He cares for the flowers in the field, clothing them in beauty. And if He cares for these things in this way, how much more does He care for you? And if He cares for you, He cares about the things that you care about. He cares about your life. He cares about your emotions. He cares about the things that are important to you. So, He is trustworthy and faithful to provide. He is worthy of our surrender.
Reflect:
- What area of your life do you currently feel as though you are not trusting God with it? How might you trust Him more?
