This Is Not Your House

We're all someone.  We all have likes and dislikes and types of clothing we like to wear and music we like to listen to.  We each have a unique personality that allows our friends to go, "I saw these shoes at the mall that looked so totally you."
We all enjoy being 'ourselves."
Last Sunday the pastor of my church preached a sermon that I liked a lot.  In it, he compared our personalities, our likes and dislikes, who we are as people inside and out to being our "houses."  As humans, we like to think we own our houses.  We like to think we sit on a big fat piece of land in a nice house and say, "I own this, this is me."  But, as my pastor said, we don't actually own any of it.
God has the keys to your heart if you've accept Him as your Lord and Savior, but God also wants the keys to your house.  He wants every bit of furniture in every room.  And, myself included, when you hear this you don't like it.  I like being myself, I'm me, this is my house, I built it.
But none of us built our own houses.  God did, from the foundation to the chimney.  We don't have a right to throw Him out the front door and say, "I built this, get out."  He wants His keys back, and things get so much easier when you hand them over, because He'll help you with the upkeep.  When your house starts falling apart, when a storm comes, God'll be there to help you with repairs.  But first, you have to surrender your housekeys and let God into every room.  Every closet.  Every cupboard.  Don't close any doors, don't go, "Oh, not that closet, that's my stuff."  Or, "Please don't go in there, I'm ashamed of what's inside."  Those latter doors are the one that you should leave wide open for God, for He's the only one who can clean out and remodel it.  It may be embarrassing and shameful, but don't worry, God understands.  It may hurt to show Him these private rooms, but it will hurt only as thorn hurts as it being pulled out. 
It's hard to give up control of things, we as humans like to be in charge of ourselves.  But, if you think about it, this isn't even our permanent house.  Soon it would will crumble and rust away and we'll move into a perfect mansion in Heaven, and since that's eternal, how much do our earthly dwellings really matter?
God wants every part of us.  All of it.   He wants every door wide open.  He gave you a wonderful house to live in it, so live in it, don't try to own it.  Really, so much stress goes away when you give Him everything.  He wants to fill your house with peace and joy, so why not let him?
Giving up control is hard, but things get easier after that.  So try it.  I have faith that you'll see the blessings immediately.           

^(OvO)^