I firmly believe that guys are, by nature, pretty self-absorbed, controlling, and oblivious to most of the rest of the world (unless, of course, it involves power tools, auto racing, or football). Now, this is not an edict on the nature of man (whether good or evil), but rather the inherent nature of guys as a gender. Being a guy that clearly fits this mold, I can speak with some authority, just ask my wife! I also believe this is true, whether the guy is an 8-year-old in the "no girls" club, a 17-year-old that can rebuild a carburetor, but couldn't pick out a greeting card to save his life, or a 30-year-old trying to figure out what to buy his wife for her birthday.

This inherent nature, I believe is what makes it so difficult for many guys to have a true, close, and totally trusting relationship with Christ. We pride ourselves in being in control, knowing the answers, and not needing help from anyone. God tells us very clearly that we are to ask Him for all of our needs, and we are to submit to his law, and he will deliver to us everything we need. I have to admit that I'm not very good at this, especially the "submitting" part. I have a habit of praying that God "helps" me take care of whatever situation I happen to be going through. Usually, this doesn't work, the more I try to take control and tell God how I'd like him to help me, the less I accomplish, and the worse it gets. What I'm learning is that the more I just ask that God takes over the situation 100%, the easier it gets, the less stress I have, and the faster issues get resolved.

Very recently, the effectiveness of this strategy was proven to me. My family and I in the process of moving, and are purchasing a new home. This process is a pain, no matter how you look at it, and we were a bit nervous about having everything in line in time for our closing. My prayer was fairly simple, "God, I tried to do this on my own, and I can't, I submit it to you freely, and ask that your will will be done. You know what is best, and I trust that you will deliver to me what is in your will." It sounds simple, I guess, although, as I've said, it's not an easy thing for me to give up all the power to "solve" the problem. Amazingly, less than 8 hours later, we received a call from our mortgage guy saying that everything was 100% taken care of, and we were all set. It was awesome!

The next time you are facing a challenge in your life, whether you are a girl or a guy, remember to give it up to God so his will can be done. Although it may not always turn out in the exact way that we thought, it will definitely be taken care of. God is a good God, all the time.