Fearful

Holding Too Tight to What God Gave You

(This blog was encouraged by my daughter Zailah)

“The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” — Job 1:21

Fear has a way of disguising itself as wisdom.

Sometimes we are not trusting God, we are trying to become God.

We hold tightly to the blessings He has given us, terrified of losing them. We try to protect relationships, money, positions, ministries, marriages, children, and possessions with our own strength, forgetting that the same God who gave them is more than capable of sustaining them.

The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away.

Everything we have belongs to Him.

Fear whispers, “Protect it at all costs.”

Faith says, “Lord, it was Yours before You ever entrusted it to me.”

Many of us live this way without even realizing it. We stockpile blessings, cling to people, control situations, and worry endlessly because deep down we are afraid that if we let go, everything will fall apart.

But what if the very thing we’re trying so hard to preserve is slowly deteriorating because we refuse to use it, surrender it, or trust God with it?

Think about purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables. You put them away with every intention of keeping them fresh (might even squeeze some lemon juice over them). You keep waiting for the perfect time to use them.

Yet, day after day, they slowly begin to spoil. Eventually, what was meant to nourish you has become unusable.

At best, it can serve as fertilizer; at worst, it is thrown away altogether.

How often do we do the same thing spiritually?

We hold on to gifts instead of using them.

We hold on to money instead of being generous.

We hold on to callings because we fear failure. HUH?? Because many of you are sitting on your callings afraid to step out on faith because you don't feel qualified.

We hold on to people because we fear loneliness (or losing the control you've worked hard to keep).

We hold on to ministries because we fear being forgotten.

We hold on to seasons because we fear change.

Yet Jesus never called us to cling to blessings.

He called us to trust the One who gives them.

Fear causes us to grip tightly.

Faith allows us to open our hands.

Perhaps one of the hardest things to surrender to God is our children.

Whether they are toddlers or grown adults, fear can tempt us to believe that their safety, salvation, and future rest entirely on our shoulders. We spend years praying for them, asking God to cover them, guide them, and protect them. Yet, when life becomes uncertain, we often begin acting as though we are the ones who must be everywhere, know everything, and control every outcome.

But we are not God, I repeat.. We are not God!

The same Lord who formed them in the womb loves them even more perfectly than we do. The same God who has carried them through dangers we never saw is the same God who will continue to pursue them, convict them, and protect them. We cannot save our children, nor can we live their lives for them. Trying to do so only leads to anxiety, exhaustion, and misplaced trust.

Fear says, “If I don’t hold on tightly, something terrible will happen.”

Faith says, “Lord, these children were Yours before they were ever mine.”

The truth is, no amount of worrying can preserve what God has decided to remove, and no amount of opposition can destroy what God has determined to keep.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life…” (Matthew 6:25).

“Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7).

Perhaps the greatest act of worship is not holding on tighter, but surrendering deeper.

Because when God is your protector, you no longer have to exhaust yourself trying to be one!!!!

Heart Check❤️

Are you protecting something because God told you to steward it, or because fear has convinced you that everything depends on you?

Maybe the Lord is asking you to loosen your grip and trust His hands more than your own.

After all, what God gives is safest in God’s hands.

One surrendered day at a time.

—The Surrendered Walk 🩶