Loosen up

We are tightened living in this world whether we think so or not. It may be because the situation in society and the world makes it that way but we are tense in our daily lives. This can be seen in relationships at work and school, with friends and neighbors, and even with people at church and family. “If I say this, they may get angry. If I do this, they may not be happy.” “If I don’t do this, they may be discouraged. If I don’t say this, they may be upset.” Our hearts are always in some way, tense. And when we realize, we see that we are holding onto something really tight or have worry lines between our eyebrows. When we stop and take a deep breath, we are able to see how tightened we are. When we are tightened, we cannot become calm, we become short-tempered, becoming anxious, and restless. When we put too much effort into our own, sometimes things do not go well. We can see this through an example of tightening your fist. If you close your hand and make a fist, you cannot hold the other hand. However, if you loosen your tight fist, you can shake people’s hands and even hug them. If one has worry lines between their eyebrows looking anxious, people cannot come close to you feeling safe. But if you loosen your face and have a smile, people can come close easily. Jesus bore the punishment of the wrath of God for our sins on the Cross because of His great love for us. That is why when we come before Jesus on the Cross, we see Him loosening His hands and arms open wide. So, we can come to the Cross with loosening our hearts and kneel down before Him always. Let us see Him on the Cross and walk our lives loosening our hearts to receive His peace especially when we are tense about something! ​ Pastor Takeshi