HOLD EVERYTHING LIGHTLY

    Of the heroes of history there are few who stand out to me more than those who took a stand against the tyranny of Nazi Germany. Amongst these are great names such as Bonhoeffer, Schindler, and Lutz. Yet one name that is often overlooked in the teaching of history is that of Corrie Ten Boom. For many of you this is a familiar name, for others this may well be your first time hearing it. Yet without a doubt Corrie Ten Boom stands as one of the greatest heroes of the time.

  Growing up in the Dutch Reformed Church, Corrie received a thorough education, and was impressed with a deep conviction at a very young age. Her love for Christ was evident to all who saw her, and her devotion to the will of God was one founded on an unshakeable confession of faith. In her eyes, all that she had belonged to God and nothing was too great a sacrifice to serve Him faithfully. Later in her life she would be quoted as saying, “Hold everything in your hands lightly, otherwise it hurts when God pries your fingers open.”

  When the German army began its campaign across Europe, Corrie’s homeland, the Netherlands, was swiftly occupied. Almost immediately the Nazi’s began their work of exterminating the Jewish people, and as Ten Boom watched the torment these poor men and women were subjected to, conviction flooded her heart. She knew that she had to do something, even though helping the Jews came at great risk to her and her family. So, holding her life in her hand lightly, she began a work to serve God, and pour out His love to those who were being persecuted. In an act of great courage, this woman of faith, along with her father and sister, opened the door of her house as a sanctuary to the Jews.

  In 1944, after saving the lives of hundreds of Jewish people, Corrie was arrested and sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp with her sister. While at the camp the two were tormented, and it was there that Corrie’s sister Betsy would eventually die. Upon her liberation Corrie would convert an old estate into a home for survivors of the war, and went on to write an autobiography detailing her account of the resistance and her time in the concentration camp.

  Though I have greatly abbreviated this story, there is a great lesson that we may learn from the life of Corrie Ten Boom. Corrie did not hold on to anything too tightly, but held everything loosely, understanding that nothing, not even her life, belonged to her. She knew that at any moment God could call her to turn down a road that would not permit her to carry all that she had been given. The only thing that she would not set down was her love for God, a love that was at times so large that she had to make room for it by throwing out her safety, her comfort, and nearly her life.
  A similar lesson can be seen in the life of John the Baptist. John was a man dedicated solely to the service of the Lord. From before his birth he was anointed as a prophet, and dedicated to a life of preparing the way for the Lord. His ministry was his greatest possession, one for which he sacrificed all the comforts of a normal life. It would be easy for him to hold on tightly to this gift of his, but when Christ came, and he knew that his ministry was nearing its fulfillment, he didn’t fight, but graciously let it go. He saw that the Lord had arrived, and instead of holding tight to his ministry, he gave it to the Lord, and moved to that which he was called to next. 

In John chapter 3 we gain a glimpse into the heart of John the Baptist. Upon being confronted by his disciples as to why he is allowing Christ’s disciples to baptize, John replies with joy instead of jealousy. “John answered and said, ‘A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven. You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. He must increase, but I must decrease.’”(John 3:27-30)

  What is it in our lives that we are holding onto Van nmmwith a tight grip? What gifts from heaven are we choosing to worship rather than the God who gave them? Are we willing to sacrifice our safety like Corrie Ten Boom, or give up our ministries like John the Baptist, or are we idolizing the very gifts that God gave us to serve Him. In my own life this is a constant struggle for me. I hold on so tightly to the things that God has given me that I forget that God is perfectly willing to take them away to turn my eyes back to Him.

  I cannot tell you how many times God has pried back my fingers and taken relationships, jobs, and ministries out of my hands because of my own pride and idolatry. I am still in pain from some of those, but if I had simply laid them on the altar and entrusted them to the Lord, I would not struggle with many of the trials I face today. I am thankful for the patience of our Lord, and for the blessings of His grace. I am thankful for the gifts that He continually lavishes upon me, but now I know to hold them loosely. The gifts are not the prize, and our eyes should not settle upon them, but rather we should always be looking to the Lord, because His love is greater than any earthly gift He gives us.

  I encourage you to go about your week and seek out those things you are holding onto. What are you worshiping that God wants you to use as an instrument to worship Him? If you cannot place everything you have upon the altar, then you are in danger of having it taken away. Our relationships, jobs, hobbies and more are all tools by which we may worship and magnify our creator. We must follow in the example of John, who did not worry about what God would give him, or covet the gifts he was given, but instead faithfully stewarded that which God had given him in order to worship the Lord. He celebrated watching the fulfillment of the Lord’s will even as the thing he had dedicated his entire life to was gently lifted from his hands.

  Christ reminds us in Matthew chapter six that our first pursuit should always be to “…seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) The gifts we are given are not the focus of our lives, instead they are a byproduct of seeking the Kingdom, and their sole purpose is to draw us nearer to God. If you have to give your life to seek first the kingdom, then give it. If you have to give up your home, then give it. Nothing that we have holds more value than the pursuit of our God.

  I pray that if this article has brought you any conviction, that God would give you the strength to let go of the things that you are idolizing. I pray that you would have the peace to loosen your grips and be rewarded with the blessings of God’s joy. Seek after Him and you will find the ultimate prize, and all those things you had to let go will pale in comparison to His glory.

-Seth Kendrick