God created us whole. All of us have been created to great things.
The sin we struggle with makes it difficult to fulfill our calling, individually and corporately. Sin makes it difficult for us to love God fully, love ourselves in the way that God loves us, and, in turn, love our neighbors as ourselves. God desires for us to become aware of our sin. God could opt to take complete control and prune us. In turn, we could take (perceived) control and prune ourselves. However, God chooses to work with us in the pruning the sin from our lives.
Pruning, as difficult as it is, helps us to thrive where we’ve been planted. If we work with God to prune the sin, and nurture the soil, we will naturally bear fruit in the world and draw others to Christ.
This week, we will focus specifically on the role that control plays in our lives. We will talk about our need for control/our unintended God complexes. We don’t provide water, soil, or sun. Relinquishing a false sense of control helps us to remember that we are connected to THE giver of life, the sustainer.