White Knuckles

     Holding everything with an open hand is hard, I have to admit. There are so many things I am tempted to grasp in a "white knuckled" death grip (if you know what I mean!). I tell myself that it is my right to hold tightly, to never let go. To be honest, I am fibbing to myself. I have no right at all to be breathing at this very moment, except through the blood of Christ who died on the cross. I don't have a right to the clothes on my back, the chair I am sitting on, or to the bed I sleep in every night. The only right I have, is a right that has been given me by the Almighty. Salvation.

     So...what use is there in trying to hold onto the things that never belonged to us in the first place? Everything you see around you is a gift from God. You have been blessed with life, a body, and a chance to glorify your Creator. What will you do with it? Will you choke out life by holding it too tightly? Will you write your name and ownership on every good gift given to you by Christ?

     As humans, we tend to take possession of what is given to us. We have a "hide and protect" mentality when it comes to the good things in life, don't we? What good is there in hiding and protecting what isn't ours to keep? What joy is there in fight against the One who gives and takes away?

     Think about the people in your life. They have also been placed there by God. Will you hold them as if you own them? Or will you say, "Lord Jesus, thank you for this person. Thank you for placing them in my life, and blessing me through them. God, I pray that you would allow me not only to be willing to give you my life, but also to be able to freely give you them as well. Lord, you give and you take away, and I accept this."

     Say, in a relationship, it is easy to pin everything on emotion and feelings, right? Don't follow your emotions, they ebb and flow. Follow the Almighty, knowing that He has you (and everything He has given you) in the palm of His hand. Don't wrap your heart completely around someone whom God has not "given" you. Hold true to the relationship, but even tighter to Christ. If you set your heart on Him, you will not be disappointed. If you set your heart on man, you are going to find yourself picking up the broken pieces. I'm not saying you should never trust anybody, or love anyone, but rather you should look first to Christ for love. For you are only truly able to love because He first loved you.

     Hold loosely the things that God may take away, know it is always for your good. Open up your hands and offer Him everything. Open your heart and hand Him the key. Learn to cherish the blessing God has placed in your care, but be willing to give them up, knowing that they were never yours to keep.

     Remember, the only right we have, was given us by the Almighty. We have Salvation, and it is our very own, through the blood of Him who died.


"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." ~

Jim Elliot