Hands Off

What do you do when God tells you "hands off" and you're watching someone you love suffer or

Photo by Samuel Martins on Unsplash

struggle, sometimes in the fight of their life? You take your hands out of the situation and let them wrestle with God. You pray and watch and pray some more. You give them words of encouragement when God allows. You gather your intercessor friends to help you pray and you keep praying and covering them. It's difficult to watch somebody go through something that you could easily fix or know the solution to but God tells you no. You could help but God says you've done enough, this is between me and them. This obedience is a different kind because it requires us to stay in our place like the children we are. You can argue with ya momma or daddy but you can't argue with God. 

If you're anything like me, you don't try to! You pray & cry and keep your mouth closed and your hands in your pockets. Why is this important though? Why does it matter if we take our hands out of situations and circumstances? Sometimes the very thing we keep fixing is the thing God is trying to use to shape a person's character, to teach them about faith, how to fight, or even how to trust in Him for themselves. When we interfere we can reset a person's progress, we can cause them to fail the test or we can become an enabler. It's one of the most difficult things to do but sometimes the most crucial. As parents you never want to see your children hurt or struggling but it builds character. It teaches them how to handle difficult decisions, hard circumstances, and life-changing opportunities. It's not that we can't help, we just need to move when and how God says move. Husbands and wives, watching your spouse work out their faith and not being able to do anything can be extremely frustrating, sad, and sometimes downright discouraging. Even watching a friend or co-worker go through can be tough. So what do we do? Keep Philippians 4:6-8 in mind,

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things

It's hard to keep your mind focused on those things when it seems war is raging around you.  Remember this, the fight is fixed and Jesus already sealed the deal on our victory. Stop, pray, get some scriptures to stand on, declare those things out loud, and keep giving God's word back to him.  If you're overwhelmed and can't pray for yourself, ask somebody else to pray with/for you. It's always easier to pray for others even when you're going through it.  

Today after my sis prayed for me, I wiped my tears and washed my face for therapy  I sat in a session and listened to a client tell me about her situation and much of it mirrored my own. She requested a Christian therapist and specifically asked for her therapist to incorporate prayer.  It's a joy to be able to do both and it was so easy to pray for her. Honestly praying for her was the thing that helped pull me out of the low place. I still can't believe I get to do this! Thank you, God, for positioning me in the marketplace in a space where I get to use my education and my anointing.  When you realize it's not about you, it's easier to move forward and keep going. Head held high, spirits lifted, and gratitude in my heart...

~C. Jaqis