Biblical Answer

Why Did I Have to Lose My Sense of Control Over My Life?

Losing control over our lives is not a punishment, but a necessary step towards spiritual growth and surrender to God's sovereignty. As the Bible says, "We would expect God to simply yell at us and tell us, again, to shape up. But God's ways are much better than our own" (emphasis added). This means that God's methods of teaching us to surrender and trust in Him are often subtle and indirect, requiring us to let go of our need for control.

The loss of control is a result of our inability to control our spiritual formation, as John Ortberg notes. We cannot design our lives to give Jesus free rein over our formation on our own, but rather, we must intentionally surrender to Him and allow Him to shape us. This surrender is not a one-time event, but a daily process of yielding to God's guidance and direction. As the Bible says, "I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, to those who walk in a way that is not good, following their own thoughts" (Isaiah 65:2). This surrender is a key aspect of spiritual growth and development.

The loss of control is also a result of our sinful desires and the tendency to follow our own passions and desires, rather than God's will. As the Bible says, "An essential feature of sin is that it loathes boundaries, preferring instead to follow its own desires" (emphasis added). This means that we must learn to say no to sinful desires and surrender to God's sovereignty in our lives. As the Bible says, "The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation" (2 Peter 2:9). By surrendering to God's sovereignty and trusting in His goodness, we can experience a new level of joy and freedom in our lives.