control...

"the ultimate expression of power is control."

he said it in a creepy PR cheesy voice about buying a fancy fast car...and i shook my head and cringed inside. ugh, how sad.

i heard this on a commercial break on pandora while folding laundry...

i immediately thought, geez. that's sad advertising. such selfish screaming ideology of our culture.

i shook my head as i repeated that line..a few times, in fact.

and i said it again...but this time, for some reason, i thought of my jesus. and me. and said it again.

"the ultimate expression of power is... control...."

ahhh. mercy.

i was the selfish culture too.

and then my heart did that thing...where it feels like 4 tons of bricks fall on it and then it starts racing and my mind's eyes seem to be PRIED open with such gentle grace but i see something in new light and a new filter and my heart catches up in pace to it and falls down in involuntary surrender to such a simple idea.

our lives, lived out,  EXPRESSED show where we give control.

the evidence of where we live in control, WHO we let control us or how we try and control is indeed powerful, power expressed to others.

the ultimate expression (of a Christ follower's life) of power (HIM) is control (letting Him and showing others where you put control and trust and ultimately your heart) or lack thereof dangerously...

how can he be seen AS powerful and loving AS he is truly is, if we don't express our trust out loud in our lives as we give him control. over it ALL. every stinkin' decision and detail and relationship and failure and thought, every trial and doubt and every sickness and death....

our lives and hearts MUST be submitted and surrendered. or he just looks and acts like a geenie in our minds and we limit his power and belittle him to a little lord. and that, for sure, is not what our powerful and mighty and loving God is. HE is GOD! he moves mountains, yes. but he also MADE them, spoke them into being. how dare we forget that and condense him to a fortune teller or geenie santa so many times?

this silly advertising line, someone dreamt up in a boardroom to sell a car, has me thinking and meditating on what that control idea looks like in my life...and how i want His love to massively sink down to my heart and motivate me to respond in faith BY his grace and mercy to let go. and just let him have control of areas i white knuckle and hold on to.....in fear or doubt, pride or unbelief, i hold on to them so tightly and i don't EXPRESS His control over certain areas and to others around perhaps, i miss the blessing them and HIM with the showing of how powerful and loving he truly is. because he is. more than we could ever imagine so. our lives could look radically different and feel massively freer if the place we actually put control power and trust in was simply just him and what he's done for us. and not trying to take back the reigns over and over as we doubt his love for us..

"You diligently study the scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about ME, yet you refuse to come to me to have life." John 5: 39-40

his love, his work. his story, his redemption....all about him, BUT FOR me. what sweet love, wouldn't it be lovely if we could submit control to a LOVING GOD in response back for his coming after us with His cross love...in ALL areas?

mediating on this. and laughing EVERY time now, i hear that commercial on pandora. because it does NOT make me want to buy a lexus mister man. it does remind me of something else now though. and i am a thinkin on it for sure!.