Patience vs. Control
“Let Go of the Steering Wheel”
Part IV: "Fruit of the Spirit and Fruit of Fear" Series
“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”
—Psalm 37:7 (NIV)
“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”
—Lamentations 3:25–26 (NIV)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”
—Proverbs 3:5 (NIV)
Patience says, God’s timing is best.
Control says, Move it or lose it, Lord.
Let’s be honest: we don’t like waiting.
We microwave. We multitask. We track packages like bloodhounds.
But God isn’t in a hurry—and His best work often happens in the waiting.
“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently…”
Not frantically. Not resentfully. Patiently.
Control is what fear looks like with a clipboard.
It says, “If I don’t manage every detail, things will fall apart.”
Patience says, “Even when I can’t see it, God is working.”
“It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”
When was the last time you called waiting good?
When we give in to control, we crowd God out of His own job.
But patience lets God set the pace, and trust fills the space in between.
Pro tip from Proverbs: “Lean not on your own understanding.”
Translation: You don’t have to know the how if you trust the Who.
Prayer
Father, I confess that waiting is hard, and control feels easier. But Your Word reminds me that stillness and trust are where strength lives. Help me stop grabbing the wheel and start holding onto Your promises. I choose to wait well. In Jesus’ name, Amen.