“Control is an illusion. You never have it, and God lovingly puts us in situations to remind us who does.”
For many of the Vida220 students and leaders this quote by K.B. describes a lesson that they’ve been confronted with since day one here at Casa VidaNet. Each day is full of new experiences and challenges. The first month of Vida220 has included testimonies, a 24 hour silent retreat, community activities, and teachers from Costa Rica, Honduras, and the U.S, attending local church services, and so many more activities.
This year we have 3 team leaders and 9 students representing a total of 5 different countries and 4 different states. Though we have much diversity, what we have in common is Jesus, our Lord and Saviour.
One part of becoming a more fully committed disciple of Jesus is realizing that our idea of being in control is completely false. It is an illusion that the enemy uses to prevent us from trusting Him who actually has the control.
How do we experience this in Vida220? One of the most impactful moments took place one evening when each student was challenged to “count the cost” of their decision to be a disciple of Christ. In order to “count the cost” they surrendered specific areas of their lives that they had not yet handed over to God. On a piece of paper they wrote down that which they held closest to them and symbolically nailed the papers to a cross, as they reflected on Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice and the cost that He paid. For some it was their dreams, money, or a profession, and for others it was their family, their comfort, or their desires. They left these behind them to put Christ first, acknowledging that living for Him is more than worth it.
What can we control? Mostly just our own attitude, which is hard enough! 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” We have a God-given spirit of self-control over our attitudes and actions and who/what we glorify through our lives. But all other things in this life are out of our control. Colossians 1:17 “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” We can know a peace that passes understanding when we recognize and reject this illusion of control and accept the fact that our God, whose ways are not our ways and whose thoughts are higher than ours, is in control.
Through this activity they declared Him ruler over their lives, letting go of the illusion of control that many didn’t realize they clung to. The students also went through a series of challenges recently that confronted their desires to “be in control” which only made them realize they’ve never really been in control to begin with, nobody is, but God and God alone. These moments of realizing we can’t control anything around us can bring out attitudes in us that serve to show us in what areas we can work on self-control.
Genuine self-control, it comes from the heart, and is often revealed in the form of attitude. The best way to mature in our self-control is through growing our intimacy with Christ. We have been studying spiritual disciplines (prayer, fasting, bible study, worship, and holiness) which help deepen our intimacy with Him.
As we learn about each discipline, this topic, of releasing our desire for control to God, surfaces again. We see the need for it throughout the Bible, as we study it, we pray according to His will and not our own, as we fast we practice self-control and surrender, we worship Him for who He is declaring and trusting His ways above our own, we practice holiness and purity which we can only do through self control and trust in God’s goodness and will for our lives. The more we get to know the one who is in control, the more we realize that He is completely worthy of our trust, our obedience, and our faith.
It’s only just the beginning of this Vida220 training, and it’s already been incredible to see students’ faith strengthened through teachings, alone time spent with God, and challenges. We look forward with hope and faith for what God has in store for these young people and greatly appreciate your support and prayer.
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By Katrina Newswanger
Vida220 Assistant Program Coordinator
Thanks for sharing these truths, and their impact on participants! Great reminders for me/us!