Losing Control to Gain Stability

Matthew 26:36-46

Introduction

One thing I say on repeat is that the person who lies to you the most in your life is yourself. No one deceives us more than us. I have lied to myself more than anyone else. One of the constant lies we tell ourselves is ‘we are in control.’ Life has a way of reminding us of one reality no one likes to admit:  we aren't really in control. We live in an almost delusional state of thinking that we are in control. And in those moments when reality crashes, what happens? We pout, stress, cope by overeating, say regrettable things, judge, worry, and maybe even manipulate others, hoping to scrape together the control we fictionally envisioned we had. Time after time, when we sense we are losing control, we fall into destructive behavioral patterns. It's a facade we spend our lives trying to build and then rebuild.

What if I told you, though, that's how God designed your life? Some of Jesus' last words in His earthly ministry declare an uncomfortable truth: You and I have to lose c…