Unclench Your Fists

To live free in love we must unclench our fists and hearts. I get this! I have lived most of life with clenched fists, as well as a partly closed heart. But through my own traumas and losses I have learned to live with an open heart and open hands. When we come to a place in our lives when we realize that we have nothing left to hold onto we are free.

Free to live the spontaneous love that God pours into us. It becomes a natural flow. It becomes our spontaneous nature of His love in us. The life of God is exhibited in us much like an overflowing foundation. When we clench our fists we cannot be an offering to God. We fear everyone will leave us if we don’t hold onto our lives. Who will I be when I stand before you with empty hands?  

We must gradually open our hands and hearts to discover that I am not what I do, what I own but what God wants us to give. And what He wants is love, unconditional, everlasting love. As an offering to God we have to give up arranging for the life we desire. We must have life, we cannot arrange for it. We spend most of our walking hours attempting to end the curse. We have this false thinking that if we are strong enough, brave enough we will beat all the odds. For most Christians, heaven is a backup plan. Our primary plan is finding life here, arranging for life  here while we are on earth, whatever form or scheme we have come up with. 

To live a life free we must live a non-possessive life. If we cling to our friends, family members, possessions we will always come up short. In clinging we may end up losing them. If fame is what we cling to and desire, it either is not enough (we always want more) or it often vanishes as soon as we acquired. The truth is self-sufficiency is a myth which is fueled by pride and temporary success. We must rejoice in our insufficiency, knowing the God’s power is made perfect in weakness.

We must come to terms that we are in a fierce battle. The battle for our hearts. When we come to terms with the war we will begin to understand life. We will misinterpret ninety nine percent of what is happening around us. Worse, we begin to accept some really awful things about God. It will become very hard to believe that God has a good heart, that his intentions toward us are an abundant life, a victorious life.

I hear this story so many times-If God is good how could He let me be sexually abused my entire childhood? If God is loving how could I lose my business? Is that God’s will towards me-cruelty? That car accident that took my child’s life. These things were ordained by God?   

It’s easy to get stuck in thinking that God is not coming through, He has abandoned us.  The truth is we have a merciful God. All of our lives HE HAS BEEN FAITHFUL! Even in the middle of the bloody battle. HE IS GOOD AND LOVING. We may be left with some battle scars but He will restore those too.

When we see our lives as a battle, a war against our hearts we will understand our lives, what’s happened in the past and how to move forward with joy and anticipation of GOOD THINGS TO COME! As we unclench our hands and our hearts as we become an offering of love to Him. 

I love this quote by St. Catherine of Siena “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire”

“What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness?” (Romans 3:3, NIV)