Step/Week 2, Day 7 – Hope and Sanity: Control Testimony
May 6, 2020 1444
“But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23, TLB).
Brad (not his real name) was a colleague of mine in the late 1980s. He had a great career, beautiful family and lived in a gorgeous home. On the outside Brad had everything.
Brad and many of us like him were caught up in a mass-marketed tax minimisation schemes designed to reduce our income tax. After hearing promises and assurances about the schemes being ethical and legal by so-called reputable financial planners, we embarked on many financial misadventures, whilst being assured all the way that we had nothing to worry about.
Then it all collapsed around our ears and what seemed to be too good to be true at the time turned out as we feared it would. A disaster! Lengthy court battles played out at great expense and many of us were looking down the barrel of bankruptcy. Life was starting to look very bleak indeed.
Brad was one of at least four men I knew, who could not bear the shame any longer and after years of fighting, Brad took his own life. The more prudent among us looked for better ways to fight the case and they were successful. Seven months after Brad’s funeral, the banks and planners were found guilty of misconduct and were forced to reimburse all funds and cover costs. It was a great victory, sadly not shared by Brad.
There are always going to be problems and situations, either of our own making, or not, which we will have very little, if any, control over. In these cases, it is always the right way, when we seek God and let Him take control over the situation at hand. The journey may not be smooth, but we can be assured that God will work out that situation according to His good and pleasing will. We just need to trust Him for the outcome and that is an act of faith in God, who wants to help us experience freedom from our addictions. Ask the Holy Spirit to come and control your whole life and see the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in today’s verse grow in your life, to be used for His glory, honour and praise.
– Graham Hood
Prayer: Dear God. Your Word tells me that I can’t heal my hurts, habits and hang-ups by just saying they’re not there. Help me!Parts or all of my life are out of control. I now know that I cannot fix myself. It seems the harder I try the more I struggle to do the right thing. Come Holy Spirit and fill me; take control of my life. Lord help me out of my denial so that I may accept the only Power that can turn my life around. Produce in me the fruits of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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