Step 3 Devotional: Giving Up Control
Giving up control isn’t necessarily in our nature…or is it?
If we dig deeper, we’ll find that we frequently give up our control. Let’s change what we give our control to.
On the surface, we like to be in control. We want to hold the remote, decide where to eat, and be promoted to a higher position at work. On a much deeper level, however, giving up control is attractive to us, even when we can’t admit it. It’s at the root of our addiction. We give in to our dependencies and compulsions, effectively giving up control of our lives to the things that we’re addicted to. When we feel overwhelmed and need to escape, our addiction to either substances or behaviors essentially tells us, “I got it from here. Let me take the wheel.”
We give control of our lives over to our addictions because they make us feel happy, accepted, attractive, strong, and secure…for a moment. The subconscious yearning to give up our control to something that we think can handle our lives better than ourselves is a good thing. We just direct that yearning to the wrong source. What’s the right source, then? It’s God, dummy. Sorry. I don’t mean to be blunt, but it’s true. God is the only thing/person that can make us happy, accepted, attractive, strong, and secure forever.
Published
06/21/2022
Category
Faith
Step 3 of Recovery
We made a decision to turn our wills and our lives over to the care of God.
Giving up control to God is easier said than done. Thankfully, there are steps that we can take to redirect our focus and control from our addiction to God. This process starts with filling our brains with new thoughts and habits. The apostle Paul talks about this contrast in Ephesians. “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead be filled with the Holy Spirit.” What Paul is essentially saying is, “Don’t fill yourself up with that stuff. It’s killing you. Fill yourself up with what will give you life.” Alcohol isn’t the only thing that fits the sentiment either. You can put drugs, sex, or porn in it’s place and the saying would still ring true.
As hard as it may be, especially at the beginning of recovery, recognizing in the moment when our brains are going to old places is crucial for healing. When we’re able to recognize those moments, we can actively work against them or avoid them. It’s not just about avoiding those thought patterns, though. That’s only one half of the coin. We must replace them with something healthier. Otherwise, our brain is going to fill the void with the same old crap. This is why King David chose to “cry out to God” frequently in the Psalms. He knew God could provide what his circumstances, environment, and desires could not.
O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings!
Psalm 61
For you have heard my vows, O God. You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name. Add many years to the life of the king! May his years span the generations! May he reign under God’s protection forever. May your unfailing love and faithfulness watch over him. Then I will sing praises to your name forever as I fulfill my vows each day.
Psalm 61
When we are overwhelmed and need an escape, we have a new place to run to. There is a fountain of knowledge and profound understanding of ourselves in the Bible. More importantly, there is a solid and safe refuge for us to escape to. That refuge is God. We can give control over our lives to him because we know that we can’t live healthy on our own. Look where that got us in the first place? But there is inexhaustible power, joy and security found on the rock that is God. He is the immense boulder that overshadows the life we lived in addiction.
The happiness, acceptance, strength, and security that we long for is finally achievable when we give up control to God. David also wrote about that sentiment in another psalm, Psalm 9. “The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.” Considering yourself “oppressed” is difficult after realizing all the people you’ve hurt in your addictive lifestyle. But it’s true. You have been oppressed by your addiction. And you have no control over that, until you give it over to God.
Conclusion
Key takeaways
- Our sense of needing to be in control but still give up control is another paradox
- Giving control over to God starts with replacing your old thoughts and habits with him and his word
- God is a refuge for the oppressed
- We might not consider ourselves oppressed, but we are
- Our addiction oppresses us
Challenge
Apply to your life
Take 30 minutes this week to read Psalm 61. Meditate and pray on what you read. Read, pray, and meditate while seeing yourself in David. Recognize how you have given up control of your life to your addiction and have been oppressed ever since. Then see how crying out to God and moving the control over to him, rather than taking on yourself, will bring true healing to your life.
Conclusion
Key takeaways
- Our sense of needing to be in control but still give up control is another paradox
- Giving control over to God starts with replacing your old thoughts and habits with him and his word
- God is a refuge for the oppressed
- We might not consider ourselves oppressed, but we are
- Our addiction oppresses us
Challenge
Apply to your life
Take 30 minutes this week to read Psalm 61. Meditate and pray on what you read. Read, pray, and meditate while seeing yourself in David. Recognize how you have given up control of your life to your addiction and have been oppressed ever since. Then see how crying out to God and moving the control over to him, rather than taking on yourself, will bring true healing to your life.
A Recovery Community Center in Chesterton, Indiana.
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Ty Walker
Ty Walker is a contract copywriter and graphic designer with a huge heart for recovery. He has spent the last five years serving churches and recovery communities with his creative skills. Ty spends his free time writing poetry and fictional short stories as well as hiking, biking, and kayaking with his wife, Angie, and his two daughters, Winter and Ember.
Credit where credit is due
This article was inspired by The Life Recovery Bible presented by Tyndale Publishing. If you would like to check out additional recovery articles, videos, and podcast episodes, check us out at artisticrecovery.org.
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