There is beauty in NOT being in control

Sometimes we get to a point in our lives where nothing seems like it is going right, and nothing seems to make sense. We don’t understand why a family member gets cancer. We don’t understand why there are children living in boxes and starving. We don’t understand why somebody close to us dies. We don’t understand why our parents got divorced. Every single thing seems wrong, and there seems to be no hope.

Some people find it so hard since there is so much evil and wrong in this world to see and find that there truly is an AMAZING God that LOVES us and cares for us. We begin to question God. God do you even exist? God why did you let this happen? We get mad at him and start to point the finger. 

There have been many times in my life where I too have been guilty of questioning God when things don’t seem to line up and make sense in life. Why did my parents get divorced? Why did I go through depression? Why did my grandmother have to pass away? Things just don’t make sense. BUT. I have come to find so much beauty in this. 

I have recently learned that not knowing everything all of the time is so freeing and amazing. Which is crazy seeing I hate not knowing things and hate not having control over myself, and I have also learned to STOP questioning God. After all he did create me and give me this life so why do I need to be in control of it? Seeing many of my friends going through a lot of tough situations lately, I have found beauty in them. Learning to lay down my life and give God everything feels amazing. Not having to worry is also amazing. This is something that takes practice and time and is also something that I have NOT mastered. 

Patience is extremely hard when the world seems to be caving in around you. You just want God to answer and fast. But he doesn’t for a reason, he wants to teach you a lesson. An incredibly freeing lesson, that YOU CAN’T DO IT ON YOUR OWN! once you come to this conclusion you will feel 100% better. God is in control of all of your circumstances. He has laid out everything in perfect order, so that you can become stronger and teach others. Earlier in the summer my best friend and I were talking about life situations and how we were overwhelmed and he said this, “There is beauty in not being in control.” This quote has stuck with me and become my life motto ever since. So just know that what ever situation you are living right now, no matter how amazing or how horrible find that it is beautiful because your creator placed it in your life for a reason.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” -Matthew 11:28-30 

Worship, It is not just a melody

“Worship the Lord with gladnes; come before him with joyful songs” Psalm 100:2

Generally when we think of the word worship, as Christians we think of a few songs that have a fun beat and some nice words. Worship now-a-days has become so routine, we play a few songs, clap and raise our hands then call it a day. We have become so accustomed to the routine of worship that we have forgotten the true meaning behind it.

There are so many powerful worship songs that have been written lately that just get sung half heartedly without realizing what you are truly doing, and that is inviting the amazing presence of God to come in and invade. Songs like “Holy Spirit” “Shekina Glory” and “Show me Your Glory” all three of these songs challenge God to come in and invade. When we sing these songs we forget, and don’t really realize what we are saying.

This hit me really hard when I was at an end of the summer bonfire with all of my friends before we all were heading off into our separate ways heading to our different colleges. We were sitting around the fire and singing worship songs, we began to sing the song “Holy Spirit” and I just felt the need to pause and truly tell everyone to sing the song with seriousness and to truly invite the Holy Spirit to fall in the place that we were at. Not to just sing the words like it was any other day but to DARE God to come and move. 

I am tired of Christians just following routine you might as well be singing these songs saying “Well come but I don’t believe you will so nevermind.” we have let our faith grow so small in the sense that God will meet with us every time we choose to pray or worship. We need to sometimes forget about the melodies and the instruments and sit by a campfire with a single guitar and a couple voices just inviting God’s presence to fall. But we also need to realize that God is longing for us to invite him to come, he loves to meet with his children and desires to spend time with you. It is not about the words that we sing it is about the faith behind the words that we sing. 

I challenge you, whoever you may be, to go into your next worship service or devotional time EXPECTING God to come and meet with you, more so DEMANDING God to come and meet with you. The difference that you will see is amazing, if you dare god he will be sure to show up and prove you wrong.  Or even right now if you have the time to spend the next twenty minutes listening to the songs that I have at the bottom of this page and just soak in God and his glory and DARE him to move. I can promise that you will not be upset or let down.....