Giving Up control

It is not easy giving up control over others.  As a parent we are used to guiding and directing every moment of our children’s lives, but as they mature there comes a time for releasing people to run their own lives.  In other situations, wanting the best for people, we “cautiously protect” yet at the same time control the minute details of their lives.  We can administratively infringe upon people’s freedoms by over planning or over structuring the events of others.
   Jeremiah 34:10-11 says,  “Now when all the princes and all the people, who had entered into the covenant, heard that everyone should set free his male and female slaves, that no one should keep them in bondage anymore, they obeyed and let them go. 11 But afterward they changed their minds and made the male and female slaves return, whom they had set free, and brought them into subjection as male and female slaves.”
  The leaders of Israel wanted to obey the Word of The Lord, yet the challenge was in releasing people.
   It is not easy to release people from the grips of our control.  Here there was financial gain which needed to be given up.  At other times we need to release people, even though there is the possibility that people might make mistakes, or that they might not do things as well as ourselves.  Even the simple task of delegating responsibility to others has risks involved with it.  Many times we may feel a personal loss of power, authority, or influence.
   Heavenly Father, help us to discern the areas or individuals whom we are inappropriately controlling.  Help us release these people or situations, and help us to not take back the control after it has been released.