A devotional for moms who struggle to surrender control

“So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?’”

Hebrews 13:6 (NIV)

Preschoolers tend to go through a phase of wanting to help with everything. For example, when my kiddos were that age and I was baking something, they usually wanted to help.

But, if I’m honest, their “help” usually was less than helpful. It made the task longer and messier.

Sometimes I think I do that with God. I see a situation or problem and act like a preschooler, “I’ll help!”

Then I make a bigger mess and the process takes longer than intended. I’m thankful God has way more patience that I do.

I’m also thankful that when He is our helper, He is truly helpful. In fact, He is the best helper. Not only does He love us so completely but He knows the future and knows what we need, even when it’s different from what we want.

All too often we forget that. We try to be like a preschooler and insist on doing things our way. We want to be independent and solve problems.

Just like my kids would often find in our baking endeavors, however, we need someone in charge who sees the big picture and can help us get through it.

If I left my preschool children in charge of baking on their own, it wouldn’t have turned out well. With my help, we created all sorts of yummy from homemade granola to delectable brownies.

Let’s take a step back and remember to let God help us rather than us try to help Him. Then we can enjoy the delicious fruit of our labor in full.

Prayer:

Dear God, please forgive me for trying to take matters into my own hands instead of trusting you. I ask that you help me in every part of my life. Open my eyes to see where I’m trying to hold onto control and help me give control to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.