Holding on tightly is something we are taught without it being said out loud very often.

Movies and books teach us to hold on with everything we have.

Life teaches us that sometimes we must let go. When we hold too tightly things often break. Or things are not able to move as they were intended.

Think of a dam. When you picture a dam you see a wall holding back water. A strong, solid wall not letting any water through. If this was true the dam would overflow or break. There would be no water down stream.

The strength of the dam comes from letting some water go through. Holding enough back but letting enough go through. A balance of strength and release.

The Beauty of Holding Loosely

In dance we often say “finger touches”. When spinning or twirling your partner you don’t hold tightly. Holding tightly could injure the other person or even you. Not holding on at all could lead to injury as well.

A light touch is all that is required to move gracefully. A light touch can control without injury. We hold lightly because we care and do not wish to see our partner hurt.

The same can be said for stewardship. When we hold too tightly to things we begin to believe we are the possessors. The gifts from God were never meant to be held tightly. We love deeply and possess lightly.

Learning to Hold Lightly

Our children, our jobs, our spouse, our church, our money. These things are gifts meant to be stewarded not held tightly. We teach our children. We work our jobs. We tend to our spouse. We serve our church. We wisely control our money.

Any of these can be taken in a moment. They are blessings we are given. Blessings we need to be grateful for a dn thankful for. Blessings we are meant to steward well.

When we begin to think of the things God blesses us with as ours we hold on tightly… too tightly.

Think of a bull rider. Their grip is the only thing holding them to the bull that so desperately wants them off. They hold tightly to the thing that is keeping them safe. Letting go means uncertainty. It means placeing themselves in danger. Holding on means staying. Staying means more strain on their bodies. IF they hold on for too long they will not have the strength to protect themselves or others when they finally do let go.

Holding on seems wise, until it isn’t.

More Than Money

Stewardship is most often associated with finances but that is not where it stops. We are placed in charge of many things that are not meant to become “ours”.

(Corry Tin Boom I think) said “Hold on to things loosely because it hurts when God starts prying them away.”

This isn’t to say God will always tear the things you love away. Or that it what we hold on to is not worth holding on to.

This week’s podcast shows the dangers of holding on too tightly. And it shows the beauty of letting go at the right time.

When we can live in the rhythm of holding lightly and letting go there is a beautiful, rhythmic flow to life that brings joy. There will be pain as well but the joy returns.

What are you holding too tightly to?

Love Deeply. Possess Lightly.

Holding on tightly is something we are taught, even when no one says it out loud.

Movies and books teach us to hold on with everything we have. Never give up. Never let go.

Life teaches us something different. Sometimes holding on too tightly causes the very things we love to suffer. We can become so focused on keeping something that we forget how to care for it.

What if the answer isn’t to love less, but to hold more lightly?

The Beauty of Holding Loosely

In dance, we often talk about “finger touches.” When spinning or twirling your partner, you don’t hold tightly. A tight grip can injure your partner or even yourself. Letting go completely can be just as dangerous.

A light touch is all that’s required to move gracefully. It provides connection and guidance without restricting movement. We hold lightly because we care about our partner and don’t want to cause harm.

There is a lesson in that.

Holding lightly doesn’t mean caring less. It means caring enough to recognize that love is not possession. We can love deeply without believing we own the things or people we love.

The same is true of stewardship. The gifts God gives us are not ours to possess as though we were their ultimate source or authority. We are called to care for them faithfully, with open hands and grateful hearts.

We love deeply. We possess lightly.

Learning to Hold Lightly

Our children, our spouse, our jobs, our church, our money. These are all areas of life that call for care and responsibility.

We teach our children while allowing them to grow into the people God created them to be. We love our spouse without trying to possess them. We work faithfully. We serve our church. We manage our money wisely and use it faithfully.

These things are blessings, but they are not guaranteed to remain as they are. Circumstances change. Seasons end. Sometimes we lose things we never imagined living without.

We should be grateful for what we have and faithful in how we care for it. But we must be careful not to confuse being entrusted with something with owning it absolutely.

When we begin to believe that the gifts God has given us are ours to control, we can start holding on too tightly.

And sometimes, in our effort to keep what we love, we lose sight of the One who gave it to us.

More Than Money

Stewardship is often associated with finances, but it reaches much further than our bank accounts. It touches our relationships, our responsibilities, our opportunities, and the way we respond when life changes.

Holding lightly doesn’t mean we stop fighting for what matters. It doesn’t mean every loss is good, every ending is meant to be welcomed, or every painful circumstance should be met without grief.

It means recognizing that our hope is not ultimately found in what we get to keep.

Our joy is found in Christ.

Happiness is often tied to our circumstances. It comes and goes with what happens around us. Joy is different. Christian joy is rooted in God, in who He is and in the relationship we have with Him. It can remain even when life is painful and the things we love are no longer ours to hold.

Faithfulness doesn’t guarantee that we will keep every blessing. It doesn’t spare us from grief. But when we remain rooted in Christ and faithful with what He has entrusted to us, we don’t have to let the loss of a gift become the loss of our joy.

We can grieve what is gone. We can be grateful for what remains. And we can trust God with what comes next.

This week’s podcast explores the danger of holding on too tightly and the freedom that can come when we learn to let go. Not because the things we love don’t matter, but because they were never meant to take the place of the One we love above all else.

What are you holding so tightly that it has become difficult to trust God with it?

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First…

Listen to the podcast:

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Then…

Consider what God has placed in your hands. Are you being an owner or a steward?