LIft Your Hands Up

Put your hands up.  The bible gives us many examples of lifted hands.  In my search for spiritual and social meaning in everyday life, I have found myself thinking about what it means to put my hands up.  People put their hands up at concerts or sporting events; when an officer is about to make an arrest they tell the suspect to put their hands up. There are even songs telling us to put our hands up. Church people put their hands up too.   I even saw my one year old putting his hands up last week while listening to some good preaching online.  Here is why and when I put my hands up. 

Worship: noun

reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred.

formal or ceremonious rendering of such honor and homage:They attended worship this morning.   (dictionary.com June 24,2020) 

Worship requires a recognized, permanent, and direct imbalance of power. One is above and one is below by a definite margin that can never be leveled.  That is God and us.  I decided long ago to watch my life more closely to make sure that I wasn't worshipping anything and anyone but God.  It's easy to fall into idol worship.  Whatever you are willing to obey more than God is your idol.  Unfortunately a lot of people are unwittingly worshiping each other.  It is good for people to honor others in their position; it is even instructed to do so in scripture ( see Romans 13:7), but to worship others is to lift up your soul into their hands.  Only God deserves that kind of sacred honor.  

You can find many examples of worship throughout the Bible with the lifting of hands, especially the book of Psalms.  There you can find songs of worship, many written by King David. He worshipped during good times and bad.  It is important to remember that times can be bad but God is always good. 

If you go to many churches or ministry events you will see people with their hands raised during worship.  In those moments, at least for me, it is a sign that I recognize and surrender to what God is doing in my life.  Sometimes it is by instinct and others it is by intention, but in both cases it is authentic.  By lifting my hands, I am saying yes to God's way because I know who he is to me, who I am to him and I trust him.  I am his small and precious child, and he is my HUGE and loving father.  As I lift my hands to him, it feels like he lifts me up in his arms, and I am in his loving embrace.  I am fully accepted, as small as I am and as big as he is.  I am safe.  Proverbs 18:10 calls the name of the LORD a "strong tower" that the righteous run into and are safe.   This is my experience when I lift my hands in worship.

Celebration: verb (used with object), cel·e·brat·ed, cel·e·brat·ing.

to observe (a day) or commemorate (an event) with ceremonies or festivities:to celebrate Christmas; to celebrate the success of a new play.

to make known publicly; proclaim:The newspaper celebrated the end of the war in red headlines.

to praise widely or to present to widespread and favorable public notice, as through newspapers or novels:a novel celebrating the joys of marriage; the countryside celebrated in the novels of Hardy.

to perform with appropriate rites and ceremonies; solemnize:to celebrate a marriage. (Dictionary.com 6/26/2020)

Sometimes we see people with raised hands jumping, screaming, and/or even crying in celebration of an achievement or victory during sporting events, reunions, or holidays.  What might be considered uncouth or insane in the general public is encouraged and expected at these events.  I would put praise in this category because it is a celebration of our God.  While worship says yes to God's reign, during celebration the raised hands are saying yes to a joyous occurrence or revelation.  A few weeks ago I was celebrating a milestone in my son's recovery (testimony forth coming), but I was in a hospital room.  I must have looked crazy to anyone who was looking through the window, but I had to praise God in that moment so I closed my door and shouted silently as I jumped and ran around the room with hands raised. It wasn't something that I had learned but something that I felt. I have found myself with lifted hands during praise and worship without even thinking about it.  In that moment it is an expression from the heart saying thank you to God for who he is and what he has done. You can find examples of this all throughout the Bible and once again especially in the book of Psalms.  

Surrender: verb (used with object)

to yield (something) to the possession or power of another; deliver up possession of on demand or under duress:to surrender the fort to the enemy; to surrender the stolen goods to the police.

to give (oneself) up, as to the police.

to give (oneself) up to some influence, course, emotion, etc.:He surrendered himself to a life of hardship.

to give up, abandon, or relinquish (comfort, hope, etc.).

to yield or resign (an office, privilege, etc.) in favor of another.

Many times globally, locally,  historically, and personally I have seen or experienced surrender.  It is a result of the realization that winning is impossible, and the only hope of survival is in the mercy of the opposition.  When should you surrender? We should surrender when your opposition is the LORD.  I believe that God doesn't set himself against us, but it is always us who set ourselves against him. When we choose to go in a different direction than we know God sent us or we choosing willful ignorance (meaning we don't even try to learn what God wants from us) then we have place ourselves in opposition to God.  The amazing thing is that even when we are not on God's side, he is always on our side and seeking to give us his best for our lives if we'd only surrender.  When I have struggled trying to figure out life and have no energy left, I find myself with my hands lifted in worship or in prayer as a physical sign of my submission to God's plan.  I lay myself at the alter and God's grace and mercy lift me up every time.   My advice to myself and anyone else reading this is to recognize when you are at odds with God and give up immediately.  Surrender before the battle has begun.  God's word is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword (See Hebrews 4:12).  Whether we choose to obey or not, God's word stands.  Whether we choose to recognize God's word as truth, the word stands.  At the end of it all we can not beat God, and it is by his mercy that we are not consumed (lamentations 3:22).  Let us lift our hands in surrender to God knowing that with God all things are possible and without him we can do nothing.  

When we lift our hands to God first, he will show up and in his presence is the fullness of joy.  No matter what else I do, I choose to live with my hands lifted up to the God who loves me, knows me, and takes care of me.  On good days and on bad days may I be found with my hands lifted up to the only wise God in worship, in celebration, and in surrender.  Amen.