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| Ann Arbor |
For many years now at Redeemer we have spend New Year's Eve worshiping. I love doing that! And, often, God speaks to me.
This happened on New Year's Eve 2011. It began when I saw X come into the sanctuary.
"Yay," I thought. "X is here! "
Good.
X needs to be here.
X needs God, needs to get close to God.
Then... "I hope X stays here for the entire worship experience."
"I hope they enjoy the whole evening and don't get bored. I'll be disappointed if they leave."
And I was burdened and concerned. God spoke to me, saying: "John, don't hold on to people. Wear them loosely."
God would not tell someone that if they were not holding on to people too tightly. I wrote in my journal, "This... is a very good word for me. Deepen this in me, Lord. Then I will be free to love people with no strings attached." Attachment to God produces non-attachment to people and freedom to love them. This is called "trust."
I cannot control the hearts and minds of others. Therefore I must hold on to people lightly. Hold on to things lightly. Keep a loose grip on people, things, and plans. This will allow me to be non-manipulative and non-controlling with X.
It's easy to hold lightly to people, things, and plans if they mean little to me. If some people were gone it would mean nothing to me. There are certain things that, should they be missing, I would not care at all. Indeed, I am certain there are now things I am missing that I don't know of, which shows they don't mean much to me!
It's the people I love and the things I cherish and the plans I hope work out - these are hard to part with. It is this clinging that skews my spiritual life, stunts my spiritual growth, and hinders my appreciation and love for people.
Hold lightly to your own plans and your own agenda.
In prayer, get a grip off life so as to take firm hold of God's plans and purposes.
