The Freedom of Powerlessness
Powerlessness is not helplessness.
In powerlessness, we recognize God has all the power and we have very little or no control. So we embrace this reality and allow God to be God and voluntarily assume the position of a small, vulnerable, sin-bound creature before Him. We admit our utter need and humbly appeal to Him for help, instead of trying to assert control and make life work out our way.
Then God helps.
He moves in and does what only He can do and we are energized to live responsible, good, and fruitful lives in His power. Admitting we are powerless is coupled with turning our lives and our will over to God and experiencing a spiritual awakening by His grace. Such an awakening ripples outward from our lives and blesses others–who we want to receive the holy awakening we ourselves have received from God.
In helplessness, we don’t take responsibility or do what can be done under God, yet insist on holding onto all control.
We are passive and expect life to magically work out. We look to other fallen people to save us and do things for us and take over our responsibilities. And when they fail, we blame them and look for someone else to take over. Many people look to the government this way, or to an abusive spouse, or to an enabling parent, in this way.
Clutching control at all costs leads to handing all control over to a substance, experience, institution, or relationship. Control is the master addiction behind all other addictions–the chief idolatry.
About a month ago, one of my friends in our small group mentioned how admitting powerlessness had blessed him and sustained him. His life was difficult, but there was a smile on his face and a serenity about his countenance. And it got me thinking. Powerlessness–where do I need to admit I’m powerless and embrace this reality. And the Lord soon answered, “powerlessness over money and powerlessness over conflicts.”
So I admitted–at a deep and very personal level–that I was utterly powerless in these two crucial areas of life. And I admitted that I had been spending a lot of time and energy trying to fix these two areas in my own life and in a group of people I lead. This impossible assignment had led to feeling exhausted, utterly thwarted, and very stressed out.
So I abandoned all efforts to manage these two areas, turned them over to Christ, and humbly asked Him for help.
One month later, not all is “fairy tale” in these two areas of life. I can’t stop anyone else from withholding money or causing further conflicts. But I don’t need to stop it. It’s God’s job, and my life is in His hands in these two areas. And this commitment has been repeatedly tested–but at least I’m spotting the temptations as temptations and resisting these invitations to re-assume and re-assert my own control.
What I am seeing is a remarkable demonstration of God’s faithfulness–released while I’m in a state of yielded trust and embraced powerlessness before Him. He has come through for my family financially in unexpected, perfectly timed ways. He has given a level of serenity and joy in the midst of ongoing threats to the peace of our group, and the freedom to speak encouragement to others. I’m having fun again.
It’s not magic. But it’s a far superior way to live life. As Jesus said, “He who keeps his life will lose it. But he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” That’s what I’m seeing. There’s a new level of inner freedom, personal joy, and lots more energy to do a lot more positive good. Powerlessness as a way of life has been a refreshing, liberating thing for me–just like Christ promised it would.
Rather than experiencing this reality once, at the beginning of our relationship with God, Christ invites us to experience this exchange of our personal control for His life every day, at deeper levels, in more areas of our lives.
I may end up “not surviving” in one or more situations. But at least I’m free!
