The more we love something, the harder it can be to turn it over to God. This can be a sin, a person, or even a Godly virtue.

Placing a sin above God on our priority list is a challenging enough starting point. We know it is wrong. But our human nature still helps us ignore God’s perspective and choose destructive paths over God’s perfect plan for our lives.

But our loved ones can present a sneakier challenge. It’s hard to acknowledge God’s sovereignty when it comes to the people He blessed us with. We shouldn’t worry, but surely that worry is justified as long as it’s in the name of love, right?

Then come our virtues. These may be Satan’s last stand. When we see the obvious disregard for God from the world around us, anger, worry, and hate not only comes naturally, but sometimes might even feel in line with God’s will. We should be angry at what angers God. And shouldn’t we worry about helping others see the truth? We are called to be disciples, so that means God needs our help, right?

Seeing God’s perspective has to start with recognizing His sovereignty. Remembering that He doesn’t want to see us hurt ourselves with sinful habits. Remembering that He loves our loved ones more than we do and that they are in better hands when we trust them to Him. And remembering that of all of the virtues He wants to see from His children, love comes first.

The Godlier the excuse for holding onto something instead of giving it to God, the more I think He demands us to surrender it. It could be a test of our faith. But what we might see as a test of our faith, God might see as a reward for it. He’s not taking the things we care about from us. He’s offering to take care of them for us. Which is a no brainer, as long as you believe He is who He says He is.