Ok, I’m about to make a confession and trust me this is HUGE for me! Hello, my name is Kristen and I’m a bit of a control freak. Now those of you who are reading this who really know me are saying two things to the screen: (1) That isn’t a revelation; I could’ve told you that a long time ago! (2) I would probably remove the ‘bit’ from that statement! I totally accept those words because I know that I’m almost compulsive when it comes to controlling situations. For much of my adult life, I have lived by the motto “If I want it done RIGHT, I should just do it myself.” This attitude is dangerous as it causes me not to entrust people with simple tasks that they are more than qualified to carry out. In fact, many times the very people that I don’t trust are much more credentialed than me. The saddest part of this whole situation is that I find myself treating the One who is most knowledgeable about everything the same way.
So here we are a month after the launch of the EmpowerMoments site and I feel that this is going to far exceed what I could have ever imagined because God is ready for his daughters to walk in liberty and on purpose. I know that He has given me this assignment as a part of that objective. So of course the control freak in me wanted to ensure that that objective was being met! (How ridiculous of me!) I found myself checking the site stats every few minutes trying to find out how many people were viewing the post, calling my friends making sure that they read it, and all types of other crazy stuff (I told you I was borderline obsessive & compulsive). Last Wednesday, God literally hit the pause button and made me stop. He reminded me that this was an assignment that He had given me and it’s not up to me to evaluate the performance because I’m not the teacher. How many times as a student had I graded my own paper? He went on further to explain that we are releasing HIS word into cyberspace. So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11) Plain as day, in black and white, He was saying to me that I don’t need your help in accomplishing what I desire. Sit down somewhere! Here I was trying to oversee the accomplishments of the EmpowerMoments and that wasn’t what I had been tasked with. I’m just here as a servant and messenger and once I do what He told me to do; the rest is up to Him. My actions were saying that I didn’t trust Him to do what He said that He would.
In just one week’s time the hits on the site nearly tripled and it wasn’t because I was logging in checking every 5 minutes (really it was literally every 5 minutes!) It was because He was on His job…I just needed to be on mine. Just a couple verses before the one mentioned earlier, God said: “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9) Little ole’ me was down here on earth trying to do something that required a resume` with heaven as the header address. His experience at this stuff (and ALL stuff for that matter) far exceeds anything that I am bringing to the table so I decided to let it go!
Now since we are in Control Freaks Anonymous, I implore you to take this moment just as I did and verbally confess your control issues (or other issues) to someone else. James 5:16 says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” Ask them to keep you lifted in prayer that you may overcome this thing.
Dear Daddy,
Please forgive me for the times that I didn’t trust You to do Your job. Teach me to focus on the assignment that You have given me and not worry about how You are orchestrating things behind the scenes. Please also remind me that I cannot do everything myself and teach me how to entrust people to help me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
Today EMPOWER yourself and your assignment by choosing to stay in YOUR lane. Focusing on your task will ensure that it’s done with a spirit of excellence. Also, EMPOWER someone else to assist you along the way because you cannot do it all by yourself!
Mrs. Kristen Harris is a wife, mother, entrepreneur and dedicated servant. She is extremely passionate about women’s spiritual advancement, hence the founding of EmpowerMoments. As an avid reader, Kristen enjoys reading the Bible more than anything. Her driving inspiration is when God says to her: “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) She currently resides outside of Chicago, Illinois with her wonderful husband and two lovely daughters.
At first I started laughing because you are right, I responded in my head just as you predicted, lol.
But on the truer side of things I can really relate to this is my own life. It becomes more of a struggle when I married because I REALLY had to trust, not only my husband, but that God was really defining our roles in our home. I am reminded today to step back……I’ve learned I often mess up things when I’m trying to be all up in the mix.
Dear Daddy……………thank you for your servant Kristen, who’s reminding us to trust you………Amen!
Honey, you see I didnt even touch the marriage side because God is still working on that one! There is a power struggle in my home and not becuase I cant relinquish my control; most days I just dont want to. Keep me in prayer!
Amen Kristen and thank you so much for the word and the truth…guilty, guilty, guilty…ouch, ouch, ouch.
Marquetta,
You are more than welcome. Glad it hurt a little bit because that means a healing is coming soon!
Thanks for supporting EmpowerMoments!
Krissy,
I love, love, love this blog site! I so enjoyed reading your article today. Thank you for being obedient and letting God use you to open the site up to different voices. I also enjoyed reading yesterday’s blog. (It blessed me in a variety of ways)
Now I check your site daily to see the different posts and spiritual lessons of the guest writers. This is such a wonderful concept. Your obedience and leadership has inspired me to think about ways to improve my own blog site.
Thanks for allowing God to use you as a vessel!
Thanks so much Tosha! Im glad that you enjoy the site. Its women just like you that make doing this so easy and rewarding. We’re excited about your future!
Thanks for supporting EmpowerMoments!
Thank you for your words of encourage ment. “I am a control freak”, whew…that felt good. I really needed this word today in dealing with my current situation, and some decisions I was considering making. I am going to sit back and let God take control. THANKS GIRL!
“Hello Tiffani” (in my Control Freaks Anonymous Voice) LOL!
So glad that you have joined us! Let go and let Him do His work!
This is an awesome ministry the Lord has allowed you to implement! May God bless you all who are doing it and those who read it!
Thanks Coretta! God Bless you too!!! Thanks for supporting EmpowerMoments!
Great post Kris Kakes!! I’m glad you are willing to admit what I have known about you my whole life 🙂
Dont do me like that!
Thanks Krissy! All I can say is Whew!!! Thank You Lord for me being a work in progress cause, I’m learning to let God lead my actions, and control my” I think I can control everything”. Releasing!……in my “thank you Lord” for continuing to reveal voice : )
Keda,
You know what is so interesting and this is NO LIE–I thought of you (and me and others!) as I wrote this. I thought about how you need to empower others to help you along the way. Thanking God for your revelation! Love ya!
Ms.Harris,
When I began to read this, my first reaction was she is. I am a believer that admitting is the first step towards managing and fixing an issue. Thank you for opening up my eyes some more on issues that I have. I have a really bad issue that I’m getting ready to confess. I have a hard time FORGIVING individuals for things that they have done to me. This considers me a hypocrite due to I ALWAYS tell family and friends to forgive others. Not only that I too have done some unkind things that I want forgiveness of. The power of praying and listening to God has changed my frame of mind partially. This message is aiding in my deliverance from bitterness.
Hello Amber (in my Anonymous group voice)! Amber, you are definitely not alone with struggling to forgive. Although its not one my areas, I know many who deal with that. The ONLY thing that makes it easy for me to move past hurt, heartache and disappointment to forgive people is that I remember ALL of the times that greived the Holy Spirit and yet God has not yet stop forgiving me AND the fact that the word says that if I harbor unforgiveness, my prayers are worthless. I dont know about you but I have waaaaaay too much stuff at His feet and I cant afford my issues with someone to hinder that! I pray that it helps you as well! Please remember that you are an awesome woman of God!
Krissy you know this is a HARD one for me. I am the Pres, VP, Secretary and Treasurer of CFA. Trusting God is so hard when he HAS never let us down. EVER! When I am not in control I cringe… unless I have “seen” your ability. Admittedly, I have gotten a lot better at this …but every know and then the control freak in me takes over. ….gots to be more careful…
Oh well I must hold all of those positions in the Chicago chapter! 🙂 We’ll get there together!