When I Feel...Like I'm Not In Control

We have an extra week this month so I decided to add in another chapter to my, "When I Feel..." series. This week, we take a look at the oh-so-common scenario of, "When I Feel...Like I'm Not In Control."
Some helpful questions might be: "Do I feel like I’m not in control in some area of my life right now? Do I feel stressed, upset, frustrated or fearful over a situation in which I feel I’m not in control? Have I brought these thoughts and feelings before God in prayer yet and asked Him to help me gain wisdom and guidance in these circumstances?"
If you feel like you're not in control of things right now, I pray this poem and meditation can bless, comfort and encourage you. Much love, Lucy x

"When I’m feeling helpless and troubled in my soul,
When events have escalated out of my control,
When I’m feeling shaken and reeling from the shock,
Help me to remember Lord, I stand upon the Rock.

When life has served me lemons and thwarted all my plans,
May I see, control was never really in my hands.
Calm my heart and help me process all the things I feel.
Let my spirit call to You, “Jesus, take the wheel!”

May my heart submit to You, the things I long to see.
Remind me, You are in control and You’re in charge, not me.
Once my mind is stilled and my perspective’s been adjusted,
Help me to recall O’ Lord, You’re worthy to be trusted.

Though fear and deep frustration may cut me like a knife,
I bow in sweet surrender to Your Lordship in my life.
Help me to relinquish all my dreams into Your hands,
Knowing nothing can derail my Saviour’s sovereign plans.

Lead the way and guide me Lord, You will keep me right.
Help me to remember that I walk by faith, not sight!
I rest in You, unchanging God. The One who sees all things.
My strength and stay, my Cornerstone. My awesome King of kings."


Jeremiah 29:11-12
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  
Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.”

Job 42:2
“I know that You can do everything,
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.”

1 Peter 5:10
“But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”

Romans 8:28-31
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.  For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Heart Check

Do I feel like I’m not in control in some area of my life right now? Do I feel stressed, upset, frustrated or fearful over a situation in which I feel I’m not in control?
Have I brought these thoughts and feelings before God in prayer yet and asked Him to help me gain wisdom and guidance in these circumstances?

Control is something we often wish we had but very rarely actually possess. Many times, it’s only when we lose control of something that we realise how tenuous our grasp on control really is!
There are numerous areas we can’t control in life such as our circumstances, world events, the opinions of others or even the weather!
One thing most people like to have some sense of control over is the direction of their life. When events start to unfold in ways we don’t want or expect, it can be very challenging to keep calm and navigate the choppy waters of life.

Though many negative emotions can erupt within us during these uncertain seasons, God can teach us many important lessons through these times which gives us the opportunity to grow in our faith. Perhaps He’s revealing to us that we’ve been putting our confidence in earthly wealth, worldly comforts or things that can easily be taken away from us.
Maybe it’s a season of learning about His faithfulness and provision in a way that we would never have known, had we remained comfortable and unchallenged in our routine.
Our trials and tribulations might act as a reminder to bring each day before God’s Throne and consciously seek His leading in our lives.

I remember when I was performing in the West End Show, “Legally Blonde,” one of my responsibilities was to drive a golf buggy around the stage while another colleague held on at the back.
As I got into the driver’s seat for the first time during a performance, my colleague looked at me, slightly ashen faced and exclaimed, “Hey Lucy! I hope Jesus is your co-pilot!” I swiftly responded, “Ooh no! I’m His!” before putting my foot on the pedal and steering us safely round the stage and back into the stage left wing without mishap, praise the Lord!
As comical and ridiculous as this picture is, it’s even more comical and ridiculous for us to have the idea that somehow, we make better drivers of our lives than Jesus does! Many a bumper sticker announces proudly, “Jesus is my co-pilot!” when really, this is a ludicrous idea indeed.
I know when it comes to the steering of my life and the direction that I should go, I don’t want to be the one predominantly in charge, with Jesus as a secondary after-thought. No, the God who said, “Let there be light” and created the cosmos with just a flick of His finger is the One I want sitting in the driver’s seat! I’ll happily take the secondary position and let Jesus, in His perfect wisdom, lead the way!

Feeling completely out of control is never enjoyable though and as unpleasant as times of uncertainty may feel, anything that causes us to pursue God is actually a good thing! As 19th Century Preacher, Charles Spurgeon once said,

“I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me up against the Rock of Ages.”

That’s a challenging state of mind to embrace! There’s nothing quite like a season of uncertainty however, to bring us before God’s throne, seeking wisdom and guidance. Ultimately, this really is a great place to be.

If we’re feeling like we’re not in control today, may our hearts remember that God is always in control. The God who could command the wind and the waves to be still, has absolute authority and control over our storms too.
Let’s bring everything that’s concerning us before the Lord in prayer today. We can come to Him confidently, knowing that He is a good God who deeply loves and cares for His people and He is always in control.