One of the most revolutionary shifts we can have in our thinking is to understand that when the Lord leads us away from something, it’s because He always has something better prepared. If we’ve invested a lot of time and energy somewhere or with someone — whether a relationship, business, ministry, or job — it’s easy to hold on to it with clenched fists. However, because God’s ways are much higher than ours, He often uses unexpected circumstances to make us uncomfortable so He can guide us to better things. He sees more than we do, and He understands the duration of each season of our lives. While He wants to use us where we’re at, it’s imperative that we don’t try to manipulate people or situations in order to stay put, especially if we sense the Holy Spirit telling us to move on. In fact, the best thing we can do in our Christian walk is to abandon our outcomes to Jesus. This means that even if we desperately want something, we willingly surrender it to our Savior and trust Him with the end result. In short, we live with open hands. While we’re free to pray and ask Him to make it go our way, we should accept what happens and know that He is bringing about His perfect will in all things. By loosening our grip on what’s familiar, we keep ourselves open to receiving the fullness of His blessing, even in new and unfamiliar territory!

My friend, if you’ve done your best but to no avail, God has bigger and better things in store. While it may require grieving a loss and closing a door, He invites you to take His hand and move ahead. Though endings and transitions are painful, it’s better to stay in step with His Spirit than to be left in stagnation because of stubbornness. Resolve to live with open hands, move with Christ’s peaceful currents, and know that journeying forward with Him is the most exciting and joyful place to be!