Learning to Surrender What I Can’t Control

In review of James 2:22, I read  “You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.” (NIV)

Abraham was "shown to be right with God" for what he did. He was justified because he believed God. I am not justified by what I do in any way. True faith always results in good deeds, but my deeds do not justify me. Faith brings me salvation; active obedience demonstrates that my faith is genuine.

If you want to come through a crisis like a global pandemic with your emotional health intact, I’ll need to learn to control what's controllable in my life and trust God for the rest.

God is active in your mental, spiritual, and emotional health. He wants me to make wise choices based on his guidance from the Bible and through prayer.

And then, when I encounter something out of my control, I can surrender it to God and trust him to work it out for good.

There is a great biblical example of this with Abraham: "You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did" (James 2:22 NIV).

It's easy to go to extremes with this. For instance, I can say / think it’s all up to God and become passive to the point where I do nothing. On the other hand, I can act like God doesn't play a part in my life and assume everything depends on me.

Both extremes are wrong. Maintaining good physical health is about balance, and the same is true with emotional health. Find a balance that helps me recognize what’s in my control and then make wise decisions, based on God’s guidance as I read his Word and talk to him in prayer. And, learn to let go of those things that only God can handle.

In the movie, The Lord of the Rings, there's a moment where Frodo complains about all the evil and pain in the world. He says to Gandalf, “I wish none of this had happened.” Often I think the same thing.

Gandalf wisely responds to Frodo and says, "So do all who live to see such times; but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

All I have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to me.

There are a lot of things in life I have no control over. I can't control the pandemic or how the government and other people handle it.

I can't control the circumstances of life, but I can choose how I will respond, and that will make all the difference. God is always there to help me make that choice.

In summary, my faith and my actions need to work together. My faith is made complete by what I do. I am not justified by what I do in any way. True faith will always result in good deeds, but my deeds do not justify me. Faith brings me salvation; active obedience demonstrates that my faith is genuine. Learn to control what's controllable in my life and then trust God for the rest. God wants me to make wise choices based on his guidance from the Bible and through prayer. And then, when I encounter something out of my control, I can surrender it to God and trust him to work it out for good. Maintaining good physical health is about balance, and the same is true with emotional health. Find a balance that helps me recognize what’s in my control and then make wise decisions, based on God’s guidance as I read his Word and talk to him in prayer. And, learn to let go of those things that only God can handle. All I have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to me. There are a lot of things in life I have no control over. While I can't control the circumstances of my life, I can choose how I will respond, and that will make all the difference. God is always there to help me make that choice.

Father I thank you for this verse and this study today. I pray with the help of the Holy Spirit to learn to control that which is controllable in my life and then learn to trust you with the rest. All I have to do is to decide what to do with the time and circumstances that are given to me. I ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, and any of my interactions with others. I pray this through your Son Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.