Having the faith to let go
It can be all too easy to crave control, especially in times when we are not in it. The good news is, this craving can be satisfied, but not in the way you think it could, but in having the faith to let go of it all.
Photography:
Styled by: Lisa Lindqwister.
Hair: Martina Senke.
Makeup: Regina Törnwall.
Model: Johan Sandberg.
‘Like a bird who doesn’t trust the wind,
I have been flapping my wings so vigorously, so tirelessly,
that I am under the impression that the efforts I am putting into controlling the direction I am going,
to the atmosphere I am going through,
will make a difference.
When the reality is,
my energies are going to waste,
because at the end of the day,
control is not mine to have and
it must be replaced with the faith to let go’
Control can feel satisfying, but is it really all it seems to be?
There’s a certain satisfaction that comes from being in control. Think of it like little boxes in your mind. Each box has its position, and the contents of each are also intentionally placed within. It feels safe, peaceful and ordered. Just how we like it to be.
This is the issue. How we like it to be. More like, love it to be. You may be like me and even the thought of being in control of the perception that others have of you is something you crave - controlling the way in which people perceive how you deal with life’s challenges and the direction it is taking you. However, the reality is, our range of control is not large enough to bring us happiness. It is not big enough to bring a peace that lasts past uncertainty and it begs the question within, what would it look like to truly let go of it all?
What would it look like to not hold on so tightly to it all? To remove the weight of what we have always thought would be the ideal...the ideal that, to hold on to everything around us so tightly, will afford us the luxury of never having to let go. What an ideal. Sounds exhausting, doesn’t it?
The faith to let go might just be the answer, but it takes courage and a whole lot of trust.
I can only imagine what it is like to let go. My curiosity begins to overcome me at the thought of this; a sweet sense of relief. That the notion of letting go allows me to rest in the knowledge that I believe in a God trustworthy enough to end the struggle I, and many others are partaking in. That the ache in my wings from constantly striving to fly will be relieved.
Therefore, this is the conclusion I have come to. The faith to let go of control is just that, faith; complete trust and confidence in God, whose power is so much mightier than my own. Now, if you ask me, that sounds a little daunting; to trust that God will stay true to His character and come through. Almost like jumping out of an aeroplane, with a parachute, just not quite being sure of whether it will open or not. However here’s the plot twist, the parachute always opens, every single time.
One of my favourite passages in the Bible is Matthew 6:25-34. Verse 26 says this ‘Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” They are not in control, yet they are free. Verse 34 then goes on to say “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” In my mind, worry is a byproduct of striving for control. When we’re told not to worry it’s not an ignorance of the emotion itself, it’s the refusal to place our care in something that distracts us from our ache for freedom which only comes through the faith we put in God himself.
I’m not sure I’ll ever know what’s best for me. However what I do know is this; no matter how good it feels to be in control, my yearning to be in that position is stealing from me. When I choose to trust God, and grip tightly onto Him, life becomes far more full, far more exciting than I could ever dare to imagine. I am starting to realise that having the faith to let go, just might be the only thing that will begin to nourish me once again.
‘But when I trust in you, I have a strong and glorious presence protecting and anointing me. Forever you’re all I need!’ Psalm 73:26
WORDS BY
Katy Evans
