Luke 9:23 – 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.'Proverbs 19:21 – 'Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.'
Psalm 46:10 – 'Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'
Control feels safe. It feels responsible. It feels like the only way to hold everything from falling apart. But here’s the truth—control is an illusion, and it’s costing you peace.
You’ve told yourself, 'If I just think harder, plan better, push more, I can fix this.' But night after night, you’re exhausted, your mind racing like a runaway train, your prayers sounding more like desperate negotiations than surrender.
Jesus never called you to manage life better. He called you to die to yourself—to lay it all down. To follow Him with hands wide open and empty. We fight that because surrender feels like losing. But listen—when you finally unclench your fists, you won’t be falling into chaos. You’ll be falling into His arms.
Proverbs reminds us that no matter how detailed our blueprints, God’s purpose stands. Psalm 46 whispers, 'Be still… know that I am God.' It doesn’t say hustle harder. It says stop fighting for control and start trusting His sovereignty.
Today, look at your life honestly: what are you gripping so tightly it’s leaving marks on your soul? Is it working? Or is it time to admit that the God who shaped the universe might just handle this better than you can?
Write down the one thing you’ve been fighting to control. Fold it, place it in your Bible at Luke 9:23, and pray this: 'Jesus, I can’t carry this anymore. I surrender it to You.' Leave it there as a symbol that it’s His to hold, not yours.
Let Go and Follow
Verse 1:I held the world inside my hands
Tried to build my own promised land
But walls I made began to fall
When I heard Your gentle call
Chorus:
So I’ll let go and follow You
Take up my cross, my life made new
Every step, You lead the way
In Your will, I’ll always stay
Verse 2:
The weight I carried made me blind
But Your mercy changed my mind
Now the chains are broken free
I’ll walk surrendered, faithfully
Bridge:
Your hands hold my tomorrows
Your love dries up my sorrows
I trust in what You say
And follow every day
Father, I confess that I’ve been living like everything depends on me. My grip is tight, my shoulders tense, my heart restless. I’ve been acting like I can write my own story better than You can. Forgive me. Teach me to deny myself—not because life doesn’t matter, but because following You is the only life that does. I open my hands right now. I release what I’ve been holding. I trust Your plan even when I can’t see it. Break me free from the lie that control will save me. Amen.