“Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires . . . Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God” (Romans 6:12-13 NLT).
Every day you are controlled by something.
You may be controlled by your own ego or by the expectations of other people. You may be controlled by fear, guilt, resentment, or bitterness. You may be controlled by a substance or a habit. The bottom line is you are controlled by something every day.
Freedom comes when you choose what’s going to control you. When you choose Jesus Christ to be in control of your life, when you are mastered by the Master, you can master everything else. If God is not number one in your life, something else is, and it’ll control you to a negative degree. When Christ is in control of your life, he always moves you in the right direction.
Romans 6:12-13 says, “Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires . . . Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God” (NLT).
Giving control over to Christ is a choice. Here are some steps to help you do this:
Admit that you’ve been trying to play God.
Admit that you can’t change on your own.
Humbly ask God to help you change.
Be honest with someone else about the things that need to change in your life.
Give Jesus Christ total ownership of your life.
Do you really want to change? Are you willing to do these things? You say, “I’m so tired of trying and failing.” Stop trying. Instead, start trusting. God gives you the option to either depend on him or depend on yourself. The result is either freedom or frustration.
Why not give it all to Christ? What do you have to lose?
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Discover God’s Answers to Life’s Tough Questions!
What’s the best way to cope with stress? Rebound from failure? Defeat depression? Or have peace of mind?
Pastor Rick shares the answers to these tough questions and much more in his book God’s Answers to Life’s Difficult Questions.
In it, Pastor Rick takes you to God’s Word for answers to twelve of life’s toughest questions, drawing from the examples of people in the Bible who faced the same challenges we face today.
God’s Answers to Life’s Difficult Questions is our thanks for your gift to help reach more people through Daily Hope—so request your copy of this transformative resource when you give below.
Thank you for your support!
*The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of materials you received from Daily Hope.
