Where to begin. 

We want things how we want them, when we want them, and with whom we want them.  

Once we get what we want, we don’t want it to change.  

When we offer our prayers, we imagine they will be answered in the exact timing and way we want.  

When God gives us talents and gifts, we want to dictate just how they will be put to use.    

Our relationships become things we use for our own purposes, and if they deviate from that or change, we feel betrayed, hurt, or lost.  

We become possessive of our positions, ministries, and outreaches, and can’t fathom the idea of the Lord uprooting, removing, changing, or upsetting what WE have built.  

Our families cause us grief, stress, and anxiety because we want to have a say in how it all plays out, and when we don’t, we can’t accept that it is out of our hands.  

There is a theme here: CONTROL.  

Holding your life with a closed fist. Making sure nothing slips out of your grip or control.  

Another word for control is rebellion. It is a lack of trust in God; you live your own way, apart from God’s way.  

When my children were small (I am talking baby size) both intentionally disobeyed me. I am positive all parents can relate.  

My older son was around eight months old, reaching for the stereo equipment and wires, when I told him, “No, do NOT touch that!” 

Looking at me dead in the face, I watched in shock as his fat, little hand reached for those wires and yanked on them in total defiance.  

He didn’t see the danger. He had not yet learned to trust me for his own protection. He thought he knew better and he wanted what he wanted. Until kids learn to trust their parents, their lives are ruled by this idea… 

“I think I KNOW BETTER!”  

It is no different between us as adults and our Heavenly Father. Our fists are closed tightly on the things we obtain, the life we have, and the control we seek, and until we learn to trust Him with our lives, we are living in rebellion against God. “I believe I know better than You, God!”

Of course, we never say that out loud. Our lives just scream it with the bad fruit we are producing, the poor choices we make, and the behaviors we have. 

The scary part? God will allow us to live like that if we insist. Life will beat us up, we will be hurt, humbled, and wounded. We will be the biggest obstacle between us and our destiny, and we can do this for the rest of our lives if we want.  

However, WHEN we finally recognize that we DON’T know better… when we trust Him, regardless of our feelings and emotions, it results in faith and an open hand toward the Lord. It results in a life dependent on God for all things. We are not supposed to have it all figured out. We are supposed to live BY FAITH.  

I have found this quote to be true. “Hold everything in your hands lightly. Otherwise, it hurts when God pries your fingers open.” 

The tighter I hold onto my life, the more it hurts when God wants it from me. But when I keep my hands open, allowing Him to give and take as He pleases, I recognize my trust and faith in Him is all I truly need. It is the only thing that brings true peace.  

I have discovered Him to be gracious, kind, merciful, and trustworthy. I have found Him to be a true Father who knows me at my core and accounts for the things He knows are in my future. He has created me with a purpose and destiny. He wants my life to be fluid so that it can be poured out as He pleases. 

Don’t fight for your life, tightening your fists onto all you hold dear. You will end up fighting for your right to stay the same, never conquer, never overcome, never fulfill your destiny. That is NOT what we were born to do.  

Anytime you sense fear, rebellion, or a need for control within yourself…. Deal with it. 

Close your eyes and open your hands to God. Hold whatever it is out to the Lord, giving it to Him. Confess to Him, OUT LOUD, any argument that wants to keep those fists closed, any fears that try to speak, or any rebellion that rises to the surface in protest. Confess that your life belongs to Him. Watch as He transforms you and helps you let go.  

Jesus is the safest place your life can be.  

Hold everything lightly, and your life will grow leaps and bounds.  

Go, girls, we can do it!