Making Room for Miracles
The need for control is deeply ingrained in the human spirit. We meticulously plan, manage, and often, try to script the outcomes of our lives, believing that our effort and foresight are the only things standing between us and chaos. We hold the reins tightly, living by the unspoken mantra, "If it is to be, it's up to me."
But what if our tightly clenched grip leaves no space for the
unexpected, the improbable, the truly miraculous? What if our control becomes
an obstacle to God's greater plan?
The Ceiling of Human Control
When we try to manage every variable—our careers, our relationships,
our finances, and even the pace of our spiritual growth—we essentially confine
the possible to the limits of our own intelligence and resources. Our need for
control becomes the invisible ceiling on God’s power in our lives.
The Prophet Isaiah speaks directly to the limitations of our human
perspective versus God's vast reality:
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV)
If God’s ways and thoughts are infinitely higher than ours, then trying
to manage everything with our limited vision is an exercise in futility. It is
when we acknowledge the limitations of our "ways" that we truly make
room for His "higher ways" to manifest.
The Surrender that Starts the Miracle
The biblical narrative is replete with examples of God stepping in when
human control was intentionally surrendered.
Consider the overwhelming situation that led to the miracle of the
feeding of the five thousand. The disciples looked at the logistical nightmare
and immediately defaulted to their human limits: scarcity and inability.
"But He said, 'Bring them here to Me.' Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes." (Matthew 14:18-19 NKJV)
Jesus didn't ask them to find a better solution; He asked them to
simply surrender what they had—to release control over the meager offering and
the overwhelming problem. When they let go of their calculations and their fear
of insufficiency, they made room for a miracle that defied their earthly
understanding.
Releasing control isn't a passive act of giving up; it is an active act
of placing our faith in a God who specializes in the impossible. It's a
declaration that we trust His power, which is infinite, more than we trust our
own, which is finite.
Trading Anxiety for Trust
The desire for control is often just another name for anxiety. We
attempt to control things because we fear the unknown and the painful. But
Jesus offers us a radical alternative: trust.
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:34 NIV)
When we release control, we are essentially obeying this command. We
are saying, "I will not bear the burden of tomorrow's planning and
problem-solving. I surrender this day and my future to You, Lord." This
surrender is the birthplace of peace and the fertile ground where God’s
miracles—both large and small—can take root.
The Apostle Paul reminds us of the power that takes over when we
finally admit we are out of control:
"My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV)
Your weakness—your admission that you cannot handle this problem, fix
this person, or control this outcome—is the exact location where God's perfect
power is revealed.
Let go of the need to control the outcome. Focus on trusting the One
who already controls all things. Release the reins, and watch the space you
create become the perfect stage for God's incredible, miraculous work.
Reflection & Prayer
Identify the Grip: What area of your life right now are you most
stubbornly trying to control (e.g., a loved one's decision, a financial
timeline, a personal failing)?
Practice Surrender: Meditate on the promise that God's thoughts are
higher than yours (Isaiah 55:8-9). Take a moment to mentally or physically
loosen your hands, and pray, "Lord, I give you this [problem/situation].
My control is not enough. I make room for Your miracle."
Rest in Trust: Claim the peace of Jesus by releasing tomorrow's worries
to Him (Matthew 6:34).
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