Writings from the Global Office

Empowering Lives with Purpose

CONTROL

Many of us struggle with multiple things in our lives, such as worry, anger, and depression. But how many of us struggle with a desire for control?

All the way back to the garden of Eden, we see Adam and Eve struggle for control. God said to Adam and Eve, “You must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” And what did Satan do? He discredited God by accusing Him of withholding good from His children. Satan told Eve she should not trust God to define good and evil for her; she needed to be able to do it for herself. Then she would have control. (Genesis 3)

Today, in our pride, we still crave control. I personally struggled with this. Then I realized our desire for control is part of the ongoing curse of sin. So I asked Jesus to forgive me for my past mistakes of control, and now, whenever the desire comes to control a situation, I release it to God and ask Him to guide the situation. I do not believe I am alone in this struggle, as many women have the desire to be in control.

We think being in control will make our lives better, don’t we? We think we know almost everything pertaining to our needs, wants, and desires, and we want to de- cide what is best. But if we open our eyes to what God says, we see that life does not revolve around us and our thoughts and desires. Think about the enemy of our souls and how he desires to “save” the situation at hand. He tells you that control will give you peace, safety, power, comfort, respect, and much more.

We do not know what is best for us. Only God, in His infinite wisdom, sovereignty, and love, deems what is best for us. Dying to a desire for control is not easy. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to admit this to God and yourself. It takes even more courage to confess it as sin. It is a time between you and Him to truly recognize you are not God, and you are not all-knowing or even able to make the best decisions for your life. Trusting God in your circumstances, relationships, and choices takes extreme faith. Regularly overcoming your own will and surrendering to His control will grow your confidence that His is the best plan. This process will bring Him glory, relieve your stress, and give Him the freedom to fulfill His purpose in you. Even though you think you have the best plan for your life and try to enact that plan by your control, God will confirm that His plan is always better than we could ask or imagine.

For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. (Romans 7:18 NIV)

As you surrender control to God, remember to pray and seek Him first before making any decision, and be comforted knowing what He says in Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Please, let’s pray together about relinquishing all control to God and be assured that He knows what He is doing. Then, as you do, you can gloriously watch the “big things” you seek to control become “little” in the hands of God.

Kimberly Hobbs

Founder & Executive Director

kimberly@womenworldleaders.com

Ephesians 3:20

Biblical Profiles

LYDIA

We have much to learn from Lydia, introduced in Acts 16:11-40. Lydia was a Gentile woman who lived in Philippi, a Roman colony inhabited primarily by the Roman military. She was a dealer in purple cloth, a valuable commodity used to make royal clothing. So she was likely wealthy from her business dealings. More importantly, however, Luke tells us that Lydia was a “worshiper of God.” (Acts 16:14, NIV) We can also extrapolate that Lydia was wise and brave. She actively sought the one true God in an area where emperor worship thrived. And although much could have sidetracked her, Lydia did not let the culture, her business success, or anything else stop her from seeking God. She demonstrated wisdom in meeting with others for prayer, and she showed bravery as she went against the norm of society.

As she was praying with a group of women one Sabbath, Lydia heard the gospel message from the apostle Paul, who was on his second missionary journey. The message Lydia heard was that Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, had come to earth, fulfilling the prophecies of the Jewish scriptures and demonstrating His deity. However, the Jewish leaders had turned against Jesus, and He was sentenced to death by crucifixion. Three days later, Jesus was resurrected, proving that He was the one true God and overcoming death for all those who believe in Him. Jesus came for all, and belief in Him is the key that opens the door to an eternity spent with God.

Lydia had been seeking the one, true God, and now she had her answer!

And she responded immediately. Not only did Lydia believe in the deity of Jesus, but she also told her family what she learned, and they were all baptized together. And then, quickly and obediently putting her faith into action, the new Christ-follower invited the missionaries to stay in her home, considering it an honor to host them and demonstrating genuine Christian hospitality.

If you are a Christian, you may have noticed that things are not guaranteed to be easy when you step out for Jesus. That is often because the devil is not pleased when people vow to serve the Lord. Things were not different in Lydia’s time. After the missionaries came to stay with her, although there were no doubt beautiful periods of joy as they worshipped the Lord and experienced the Holy Spirit together, there were also times of persecution. For example, Paul and his companion Silas were soon put in prison for their preaching, which sent Lydia and her household into an intense time of prayer. The missionaries were eventually released, and they returned to Lydia’s home to encourage their brothers and sisters in Christ before they left the area to continue their mission. But Lydia stayed behind, now a target as one of the central Christian leaders in Philippi.

As we study the life of Lydia, there are at least three lessons we can meditate on:

• We were created to seek the one true God! We are all born with a God-sized hole in our hearts that only He can fill. No matter what our society teaches or looks like, we will never be satisfied until we invite Jesus into our lives.

• God calls each of us to active obedience. Lydia did not hesitate to use her gift of hospitality to host the missionaries. God had a distinct purpose for her, and He has a distinct purpose for you.

• God’s blessings always outweigh the cost. Although leading the Christian church at Philippi surely had its challenges, the gospel of Jesus Christ spread throughout the area partly due to Lydia’s brave leadership, and many were given the gift of salvation.

Lydia left her mark on history – though not through business or wealth or purple cloth, as the world would expect. Instead, she left her mark on history through fellowship with God, obedience to Him, and Christian wisdom and bravery covered in kindness and strength. That’s quite a legacy! What legacy are you leaving? Let me encourage you to follow Lydia’s example. Seek God’s leading and respond in obedience, remembering His blessing will always outweigh any cost.

Julie Jenkins

Teaching and Curriculum Leader

julie@womenworldleaders.com