Letting Go of Your Knives!

Knives are sharp.  When used properly, they serve a purpose but when used improperly, they inflict pain.

I was at dinner with my husband this past weekend and typical of many dinners without kids, we had the chance to talk about things other than sports and what the kids wanted.  When that happens, we tend to talk about our own wins and losses for the week.  Sometimes the wins are greater and sometimes the losses are greater.

On this particular evening, my hubby was venting about a few things he was feeling.  Let me remind you that we are polar opposites in the way that we see and deal with things.  That can be great when someone else is wanting an outside opinion or a different viewpoint.  This is where my knife of “control” began to rear its ugly head.  I was encouraging him to think differently about a situation {read that as making him see it my way} and it wasn’t going well.  I was beginning to take it personally and started taking his opinions as an attack on me and my views.

Whoa!!!!

Hold up now!!

I was quickly reminded that this situation wasn’t mine to fix or control and so I quickly tried to divert the conversation into something that was healthier and maybe a totally different conversation for the time being.

My knife that night was “control”.  It wasn’t in my power to take my husband’s anxieties or struggles away no matter how much I wanted to control or change his views on a matter.  As long as I held onto that control meant that knife was going to cut deeper and deeper between us.  I typically have to cut myself multiple times with my “knives” before I am able to understand that I am the only person inflicting pain on myself and those around me.  It was only then that I was able to willingly let that knife go.

Many times we hold onto CONTROL, FEAR, DISAPPOINTMENT, REJECTION, and LONELINESS.  The list could truly go on and on.  I think it’s safe to say that I”m not the only one who’s thought, “If God can do anything, then why won’t he just take this away from me?”  Girl let me tell you!  I have begged time and again for God to take away pain, frustrations, failures and hurts.  I’ve had a lot of knives that I’ve had a strong grip on though.

Think of it this way.

Imagine you are in the kitchen with little ones under foot while you are trying to cook.  Every home in America has knives in the kitchen and we teach our children the dangers of them and how to care for them.  What would happen if your toddler grabbed a knife, not knowing the dangers, and starts running away from you?  How would you react?  Would you yank the knife out of their hand?  OF COURSE NOT!  Why?  Because it would cause them pain.  Instead you will calmly encourage your child to return the knife to you.  You may tell them that it’s dangerous and you may even show them the damage that the knife can cause to them.

In other words, you would gently persuade them to give you the knife willingly, versus yanking it from their grip.

It’s the same with God.  He isn’t going to just yank your knives from you because he knows it will only cause you pain.  When he takes things from you that you are not ready to give, it will cause frustration.  It’s hard for us understand “why” God takes something from us when it seems like we have it under control.

Here’s what you need to understand though.  All those sinful ways of our being feel good at a particular point in time.  It feels good to be in control of situations around us.  That knife is only an illusion though.  We really don’t have control of other people or situations no matter how similarly you may think you are to a person.

We must have the heart to willingly give him those knives when we are ready.  Only then, will it not cause us pain.  We have to willingly give him our sadness so we can be released from the pain of it.  We have to willing give him our disappointment in order for him to begin to help us down the path that we are created to be on.

God will never be the source of your pain.  All of the pain we feel in this earthly world is put upon ourselves because we are not letting him take those knives from our hands.

What knives do you have a firm grip on?

Today, I pray that you lessen your grip on those knives that are causing you pain in your life.   I pray that this moves in your heart and you begin to recognize what some of those knives are.  I pray that you listen to his loving words as he tells you that you are holding onto things that are causing pain.  Remember, he isn’t going to yank those sharps edges from your hands…you have to willingly give them to him.