My New Year's "Revelation"

As I was laying in bed the other night, tossing and turning, near anxiety attack, until 3:00am, I realized that I was definitely the one trying to control my life. And it obviously was NOT working!

I’ve always had some control issues and I like to micro-manage everything. I know in my head, that I need to give God complete control over my life, but how to do that is the question. So finally, in desperation, I told God to take the control from me, I did not know how to give it up, but for Him to show me how and guide my decisions.

A few days earlier I had been watching Joyce Meyer. Her talk that day was “The Grace of God”. (Go here to see the episode.) One statement really spoke to me: Grace, is the power of The Holy Spirit, coming to us free of charge, to help us do with EASE what we could never do ON OUR OWN with any amount of STRUGGLE and EFFORT.
WOW! My life right now does not seem to be happening with ease, but definitely is a struggle and taking a lot of effort. I feel as if I am on a treadmill, working as hard and as fast as I can and getting absolutely no where. I definitely need to give up the control. And although, I definitely don’t know how to do it, I know through lots of prayer and reading God’s word, He will show me how.
Here are some other points that really spoke to me from Joyce’s message.

1 Peter 5:5 says: Likewise, you who are younger and of lesser rank, be subject to the elders (the ministers and spiritual guides of the church)--[giving them due respect and yielding to their counsel]. Clothe (apron) yourselves, all of you, with humility [as the garb of a servant, [b]so that its covering cannot possibly be stripped from you, with freedom from pride and arrogance] toward one another. For God sets Himself against the proud (the insolent, the overbearing, the disdainful, the presumptuous, the boastful)--[and He opposes, frustrates, and defeats them], but gives grace (favor, blessing) to the humble.(A)

We (I) need to humble ourselves (myself) and stop trying to do things independantly. Say to God, I need your power and grace, I cannot do this on my own.

Works of the flesh = FRUSTRATION

Matthew 11:28-30 says: 28Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will [o]ease and relieve and [p]refresh [q]your souls.] 29Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest ([r]relief and ease and refreshment and [s]recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.(E) 30For My yoke is wholesome (useful, [t]good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.

If I’m frustrated I’m out of the will of God, b/c God is not the author of confusion or frustration.

Worry= If I try hard enough I can figure this out.

God doesn’t give us grace ahead of time, He gives it to us fresh every morning, what we need for that day. (I have a constant problem of trying to plan the future, what I want to happen next week, next month, next year.)

The minute we feel frustrated we need to realize that we have gotten into some works of our own and we need God to work in us.

1Peter 5:10 says: And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you.

I’ve exhausted all my own effort, I realize I can’t do this on my own. God I need you to help me.

James 4:6 says: But He gives us more and more grace ([a]power of the Holy Spirit, to meet this evil tendency and all others fully). That is why He says, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace [continually] to the lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it).(B)

Bible verses from The Amplified Bible.