When I was a little girl, I sang “He’s got the whole world in His hands” and I would picture God’s actual huge hands holding our world. Somehow, as I’ve grown up, I changed the lyrics to “You better hold this whole world in your hands and if you don’t do it right everything will come crashing down.” It’s a dramatic change, I know.
But I feel that way. I feel like if I don’t do everything exactly how I am supposed to every single time, things will fall apart. If I don’t serve my son organic cereal, he’s going to get cancer. If we skip church or I don’t pray for him one night, I may sentence him to eternal damnation. If I say one mean thing to my husband or we don’t go out on at least two dates a month, we’re doomed to never have a good marriage. I must do it all the right way. If I don’t, things will fall apart. Kacy’s got the whole world in her hands, and she’s trying desperately not to screw it all up.
And I don’t think I’m the only one who has changed the lyrics.
Women often feel that it all rests on them, and in some ways, it’s true.
My home eats because I do a lot, if not all, of the grocery shopping. My son is bathed and clothed and taken to school each day because I do it. We have toilet paper and diapers because I remember that we need them. I take care of a lot of things, and some women have even more on their plates. Some women are single moms, or single women. Some are foster mothers or military wives. Some women don’t have sisters and a mom nearby to help them with their load. It feels so heavy. And it is heavy.
Somewhere, the enemy got in our heads and told us that we must do it all right because it all rests on our shoulders. He told us this lie that we are in charge, that God can’t be trusted to do what’s best. That God isn’t good. He told us, starting in the garden, that God does not have the whole world in His hands. And, all these thousands of years later, women everywhere believe that lie. And we are crushed under the weight of anxiety.
We can’t hold the world in our hands, we can’t possibly do it all. We can’t let it all rest on us, we’ll be crushed. But, those aren’t the lyrics. I’m not in charge, I’m not holding it all together. I don’t have the whole world in my hands. God does. And I am not God.
And neither are you. He’s told us to come to Him, that His burden is light. We can rest in Him. He does actually have the whole world in His hands. He’s in charge of this, and He’s allowed us to play a role. His hands are huge, His hands are gentle. He is good. So, when you’re tempted to put it all on your shoulders and change the lyrics to that song, remember He’s got the whole world in His hands. Not you. Not me. Only Him. And He’s the right one for the job.
Kacy Davis lives in Fort Worth, Texas with her husband, Collin. She is a special education teacher and advocate of those with special needs and loves her job. She spends her time riding bikes with her husband, running, reading, and enjoying those she loves. Kacy believes in reinventing what it means to be a woman and wife who loves the Lord and longs to help others learn to love the Lord with abandon, freedom, and a greater understanding of grace. She writes here.
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“He’s told us to come to Him, that His burden is light. We can rest in Him.”
Matthew 11:28-30 has been my life verse since I was 10. Thank you for this much needed reminder today! I can give the world back to God. Blessings and love to you.
My heart felt the heaviness of the whole world in your hands. Kacy, you have expressed yourself well and I believe named what is so true for so many women. Thank you for your honesty and the blessing only you can bring. 💗MJ
I often feel this way. There is so much to do and be and remember and I feel like my world would crumble around me if I weren’t there to hold it all together. I like to be in control, but it wears me out and transforms me into a woman I don’t desire to be. Thank you for this kind reminder.