June 1, 2025
15 The high and lofty one who lives in eternity,
the Holy One, says this:
“I live in the high and holy place
with those whose spirits are contrite and humble.
I restore the crushed spirit of the humble
and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.
Isaiah 57:15 NLT
I was a control freak!
I had an operating system that was powered by a lie I believed – if it is to be it is up to me.
Because I believed that if I was going to experience anything good in my life, I had to take it, the natural outcome was an almost total desire to control everything: people, events, outcomes.
You get the picture, and you are probably as uncomfortable reading this as I am remembering it.
I wrote in the introduction of PRO LEADERSHIP – book two, about my BIG DREAM and HUGE VISION, one that I could never do alone, because I don’t control outcomes, but I do control input and my input is my AGENCY. That is what I am called and responsible to apply.
Those are the words of a recovering control freak.
That is what I am.
My recovery has taught me that CONTROL focuses on outcomes, and I don’t control them; I do control my AGENCY which is all about input. Being focused on outcomes will waste time, cause anxiety, “brain damage”, and stress. I know this universally true.
But before my recovery could begin, I had to learn to let go of the control I felt I needed to have. I had to recognize that what I believed, if it is to be it is up to me, was a lie.
It took work to get here.
I began to recognize thinking I controlled outcomes was a symptom of the PRIDE that was working in my life, but as Proverbs 16:18 NLT says, Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.
But GOD, is faithful and compassionate and he did not treat me as my sins deserved.
He is a GOOD Father, and when my pride contributed to the ending of my career, he stepped in when I asked him, giving me a new operating system so I could walk in the calling that replaced my finished career.
He knew the WHY behind the lie I believed, he saw the WOUND that caused the LIE. He knew the VOW that sprung from the LIE. And he understood the STRONGHOLD the wound, lie and vow created in my life, and how it kept me from being all he meant for me to be.
This is how I began my recovery.
FIRST, I turned from myself to, The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, because he is the one who controls all outcomes.
NEXT, I listened to what he said, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.
The high and holy place – not “A” high and holy place but “THE” high and holy place, where I will spend eternity because of my faith in Jesus Christ. I live from this perspective.
THEN I RECOGNIZED: 1) those who live with GOD have contrite and humble hearts. I wasn’t and didn’t, but he allowed my experience to make it true for me. 2) He restores the crushed spirit of the humble. The process of humiliation crushed my spirit, but GOD restored it, wonderfully. 3) He revive(s) the courage of those with repentant hearts. Falls or Failure can open the door for fear to displace courage. But GOD, knows COURAGE is the most important character attribute, so he gives it, experientially. That is what he did for me.
Do you have a broken heart?
Do you have a crushed spirit?
Has fear displaced courage in your life?
Humble yourself, turn to Jesus, repent from your heart. Do this now, and he will restore your broken heart, your crushed spirit and revive your courage.
He did it for me, he will do for you too, because he has no favorites.
You only need to ask him.
Until next time,
Be Guided by Faith, Driven by Purpose,
Andy Wyatt
June 1, 2025