No one enjoys being weak, especially me. And the devil knows it. He takes advantage of our fears with false promises of control, or at least a heavy influence over the circumstances of our lives. His ploys are so common and make so much sense that they often feel right and normal.

Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. 

~Zechariah 4:6b NKJV

A challenging but valuable lesson for me through my venture into writing. What began with playful experimentation progressed to the challenge of writing a novel. As I tackled the learning curve with books and articles, submitted my work to humbling critiques, and wrote hundreds of thousands of words, most of which were trashed, I had fun. I lost track of time. I forgot to eat. It became a joke when my husband would find me in the dark, busy at my computer, when he came home from work.

Clearly, I had been born to write, but didn’t know it for most of my life. Passion was ignited by the miracle of co-laboring with the Holy Spirit as He constantly came to my aid. Then, after six years, when I finally felt satisfied and had feedback that my manuscript was good, the trouble began. It was as if the Holy Spirit had done His job, and I was on my own. What a lie.

Even after God opened a door to meet an editor who graciously spoke with me, edited my work for less than the going rate, praised my book, and encouraged me to submit a proposal, I acted as if the lie were real–right up until I signed the contract, which was a dream come true and a big deal.

But the celebration ended quickly as worries about the future swelled like yeast in dough. In the middle of a four-week, expensive online course about launching books, the final meltdown came. Even then, God was there. My daily Bible reading brought me to one of David’s cries.

I will cry out to God Most High, to God who performs all things for me. 

Psalm 57:2 NKJV

As I wailed and wondered where my joy had gone, the precious Holy Spirit ministered truth. Additionally, He showed me that in graduating from simply writing to becoming an author, I’d surrendered my identity as a beloved child of God for a false sense of accomplishment and responsibility. In my mind, authors were professional and competent. They worked hard to market themselves and held the secrets to selling books.

Now, as I near the end of writing the sequel to my novel, I face the exact same challenge. Writing is fun, but the rest is too hard. Still lacking confidence, I’m tempted by the illusion of control to combat the fear of rejection. Fortunately, the years behind have taught me to trust the Lord for every part of this process. I do not know what will happen, but I cling to the truth that God is for me.

Is there a part of life where you think you have to be strong on your own? Have you forgotten the battle belongs to the Lord? No matter how large or small the task, or how you measure up to others, you are a branch in the vine.

Abide in Christ and let Him bring the fruit. Let Him place His power in your endeavor.

Bring me back to joy, precious Jesus. Remind me that my weakness makes Your power perfect. That the joy of the Lord is my strength. Amen.

 

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2025: False Promises of Control: Caroline Powers: All Rights Reserved.