Squeeze a Hand

Have you ever felt small? Like maybe the world has become an ocean and it pulls at you, tossing you in and out of the undertow? Or maybe there's a storm brewing on the horizon of your beach, and all you can do is cling to those nearby and brace for impact?

Being the type of friend that usually gives advice and does a lot of listening, there are times when I don't have the right words for people. No matter how desperately I would like to fix their problems with all my might, I am unable to do so because I am merely human. We all have felt this way, where all we can do is squeeze somebody's hand and hold them till the storm passes, and I know you must be just a little frustrated, because the perfectionist in me always is when these things happen.

But here's what we have to realize: we were never called to save people or fix them, because we are utterly incapable of doing so. That is all on God and what makes His love so amazing. But us? We are called to love them through it and hold their hand.

Paul talks in 1 Corinthians about many spiritual gifts, naming the greatest thing a Christian can do for another person as loving them. This was stemming from a time when the specific church he was writing to was struggling, and Paul knew that loving each other and setting aside their petty squabbles would draw them closer so that they could accomplish the mission God had for them. Paul says that, "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away" (1 Corinthians 13:1-8). Paul knew that love was the greatest thing you can do, because it is that same kind of pure love that drove Christ to the cross for us!

You are NOT powerless for simply loving somebody, but EMPOWERED through your obedience to Christ! In fact, the Bible goes as far as to say that, "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love" (John 4:8). I often struggle with the idea that I am unworthy of love for simply being myself, like if I am not performing a certain job for somebody and solving their problems, then I am useless, but in reality, being there for somebody and listening can be the greatest thing you can do.

So where does this come from? This ever present desperation to be the solution to our loved one's problems? Why can't we simply step aside, and trust that our faith in Christ to work the miracle is enough? My idea: we desire to be involved in the problem solving, because we want to influence the outcome. Whether it's our problems, or someone's we know, we want whatever is best for that individual, and think that our own man-dreamt dreams are it. We fail to trust and surrender our problems and loved ones to Christ, or let the Devil weave doubt into our hearts, so much so that instead of being empowered to love, we are crippled to cling to fear. So how do we fix this? We surrender. We seek the beauty in surrendering, in squeezing their hand, and letting go. In holding it tight and being there with them. On their knees, by their side, or by yourself. Because without surrender, we will never know true love. That true, powerful, world changing, and mind blowing love that Jesus showed on the cross? It was an extension of the surrender of His heart to the Lord (Matthew 27:50).

We don't get to be people for very long. At best, we have maybe 80 to 90 years to love people. And we spend those years grazing each other’s skin, thinking that we have the power to shape them. We think we can replace the Creator who formed us from dust when all we can do is merely grip the surface. Because the reality is, constellations bow to the God that breathed life into the earth and us, the God who took on flesh and sent His only son to die so that we may spend eternity with Him, who got up out of the grave defeating death once and for all, and He still tells us to give our troubles to Him. He still calls us to love Him and love others (Matthew 22:36-40).

When we pursue Christ’s love, we can get passionate about it, and through that passion, we begin to see the world through His eyes as something to be passionate about. We embrace the gift of loving that we have been given, and instead of viewing our surrender as weakness or worthlessness, we see it as the greatest thing that God has given us the opportunity to do. We get passionate about being Christ like when we understand that we cannot be Christ, and through turning over our control of others we find freedom that leads us to our purpose! This is where we learn that squeezing a hand is not silly, or stupid, or weak, but a sign of God's love for all the world to see, and a display of trust in your Heavenly Father. Because if we can't trust Christ on the small things, like caring for those we love, then how can we trust Him on the big things, like discovering our purpose?

Don't let the Devil try to convince you that you are anything other than a beautiful and powerful creation from the King of Kings, and that being faithful to the Lord through surrender makes you weak. Because loving someone is the greatest thing you can do... just ask Jesus.

To holding hands and surrendering hearts...

-Emma

"Be fearless in pursuit of what sets your soul on fire."