We often move through life with full hands because we carry a lot of things each day. We hold on to our plans, worries, disappointments, and even our desire to remain in control. Sometimes we even cling to things God is asking us to release. This includes old hurts, unmet expectations, resentment, or fear about the future. Full hands may feel productive, but they cannot receive anything new because there is no extra room.
This month, our sermon series is entitled Open Hands. In this series, we will be reminded that God invites us to come before him with open hands. Open hands are a posture of surrender. They say, “God, I release what I cannot control.” They are also a posture of trust: “God, I believe you will give me what I truly need.” Open hands are also a posture of generosity: “God, use what I have to bless someone else.”
When we seek to live with open hands, we don’t have to stop caring and planning. Yet it does mean we stop pretending that everything depends on us. Instead, we bring our needs, hopes, and fears honestly before God without demanding that God do what we want.
When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, he did not hide his true feelings from God. He honestly asked God if there might be another way besides his own suffering and death to accomplish God’s good and gracious plan. Yet, even in his anguish, Jesus prayed, “Not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Jesus reminds us that surrender is not weakness. It is the courageous choice to trust God even when we are afraid and cannot see what lies ahead.
Take a quiet moment today and physically open your hands before God. Picture yourself placing your worries, relationships, difficult decisions, and disappointments into God’s loving care. You do not have to carry everything alone. Then keep your hands open, not only to release what is weighing you down, but also to receive the peace, direction, forgiveness, and grace God longs to give you.
Union Family, we do not know what tomorrow will bring right here and now. But we know the One who will meet us there, and when we offer God our open hands, that’s more than enough.
Jesus loves you, Union Family, and I do too!