Open Your Hands

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your path straight. - Proverbs 3:5-6

Do me a favor really quick and hold out your hands. (I’m not going to make you do anything weird. I promise.) Now, I want to imagine that all of your desires, your plans, your dreams, your goals, are in your hands. The job you really want. The husband you’ve been dreaming about. The house you want to live in. The friends you’ve always wanted. All of your heart's desires are in your hands for you to hold onto. Then, I want you to close each hand to make a fist, that way all of your dreams and your plans are safe and secure.

Now, what if I told you that God had different plans and dreams for you? What if He had a job lined up for you that was even better than what you thought you wanted? What if He had a different group of friends He wanted you to be a part of? What if He had an amazing husband waiting for you who was above and beyond what you’d been hoping for? Wouldn’t you want God to give you those things? Wouldn’t you be excited to receive those kinds of gifts and blessings? Of course you would! But there’s a catch. If you’re going to receive all that God has for you, you have to do something first.

You have to open your hands.

You see, as long as you’re holding onto your own plans, dreams, and expectations, you can’t fully receive what God has in store for you. If you’re clenching your fists together so tight because you thought you had your career path, relationship goals, friend circle, and living situation all figured out, you can’t take hold of what God wants to give you.

Sadly, many of us go through life with white knuckles, unwilling to let go of what we think will be best for us. But the longer we refuse to surrender our plans, the longer we delay ourselves from taking part in God’s ultimate plan for us.

Sure, we may not understand why God’s plans are so different from our plans. We don’t always see why we didn’t get the job, why that relationship didn’t work out, or why those friends aren’t a part of our life anymore. That is why trust is so essential when it comes to our relationship with the Lord.

Surrender is a byproduct of trust. If you don’t trust that God’s plans are perfect and that He has your best interest in mind, then you’re going to keep your fists closed around your own plans and dreams. You’re not going to let go of what you think is good if you don’t think you’ll be getting something better in its place.

On the other hand, if you trust the Lord’s plan, if you have faith in His timing, His will, and His goodness, then it’ll be a little easier to surrender your own plans.

So, what plans have you been holding onto that you need to let go of? A career path? A relationship? A timeline? Whatever it is, I pray that you would realize that now is the time to let go. Now is the time to trust your Heavenly Father and surrender your plans to Him. And when you do, you’ll finally be able to fully receive all that He wants to give you and lead you towards.