I have been in court this week testifying on a case that has been with me since 2004. The details of the case aren’t important nor are the details of what I testified, but the details of what God was teaching me in all of it might be. Matthew 6:31-34 says (The Message): “What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way He works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how He works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” If you don’t know God (or the TRUTH) testifying in court can be a very stressful time I would imagine. I know God (and the TRUTH) and testifying in court is still pretty stressful to be honest. The difference is that in the moment I walked out to be sworn in, the TRUTH set me free. As I raised my right hand and swore to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help me God I meant it...especially “SO HELP ME GOD!” When I said that, I had to release control of the situation...and so do you. When I say “release control” I mean fully. It is no longer mine to think about, worry about, second-guess, or hold on to...it is no longer mine...period! As I sat down in a state of peace to give my testimony I looked around and realized that in giving this up to God I also had to release immediate control to people. I had to allow the jury, the District Attorney, the Defense Attorney, and the Judge to take it also. In this case, I had to release control to another person (or people) that God had put in my life for such a time as this. I had to believe He had hand-selected and gifted these people in the appropriate manner for this situation in life. So giving this up to God meant giving it to another person. That “God-provision” was the first time I fully understood this “God-reality” and I had to give my “entire attention to what God is doing right now.” And in that moment, all HE wanted was for the TRUTH TO SET ME FREE! I was not on trial, but so many people feel that way when they are testifying because of the stress of that moment. I was only there to tell the TRUTH and then I was free. So today as you encounter a situation that you have NO CONTROL over but you try to manage it, don’t. Today when you run into something that usually creates stress in your life, don’t let it. Today when you hear of news that could cause distraction from what God is doing right now, focus. Today when your mind travels to what you could be getting, think about God’s giving. Today if you mind strays from Matthew 6:31-34 make sure you write it on your heart for tomorrow and God will help you deal with whatever comes up. Have no worries (Hakuna Matata) and life will be full.