Control is essential for executing our goals. Just read 2 Chronicles 25:3, “After the kingdom was firmly in his control, he (Amaziah) executed the officials who had murdered his father the king.” See? Pretty critical. But it's more than a means to accomplish goals. Self control is one of the base pairs of Christian DNA. And if that part of our DNA becomes damaged or mutated, we're at a much higher risk of being diagnosed with sin cancer by our Great Physician.

Jump back 20 centuries to a man who claimed the authority to forgive sins and the title of Lord of the Sabbath. With every breath, Jesus exhaled control. Several people hated the smell of His breath and attempted to manipulate and tame Jesus. But how do you tame someone who walks on water, calms the wind and waves, teaches with authority, willingly goes 40 days without food, and casts out demons? Seriously. We can barely wait 40 seconds in a drive thru. Yet people tried (and still try) to make Him do their will.

And in the midst of Jesus stumping the controlling religious leaders and in the middle of addressing His family that is trying to control the craziness of His control, Jesus says those who desire to follow Him must deny themselves. Every. Single. Day. They must surrender the desire be controlling and master control over their minds. Because giving to others without recognition requires control. Refusing to lust and attempting to protect a marriage cannot occur without control. Speaking the truth in love will never succeed with a lack of control.

But how do we master control? The better question is who is the master of our control. When we lustfully pursue control, we hunt for sexual immorality, impurity, idolatry, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, envy, selfish ambition, etc. The desire for control controls us. Yet when we transfer our control to God, He grants us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, and self control. We must surrender control in order to gain it.

Jesus must be our Lord if He is to save us. How can a lifeguard save a drowning person who refuses to listen to his instruction? Listening to instructions requires trust. Trust requires a relationship.

Some of us have trust issues. People have crippled our trusting abilities before we were officially introduced to Jesus. Fortunately Jesus has a special spot in His heart for the crippled and the lame. He knows how to heal. He can work with the smallest amounts of faith and multiply them.

Faith will be multiplied in the presence of Jesus. It is impossible to remain stagnant in your faith if you have a healthy relationship with Him. In time, His gardening skills will bear fruit in you. Let Him choose when, where, how, and why to plant.