"Let the hands go…"

In boxing, the phrase "let the hands go" is something you will see and hear a lot. If it’s new to you, it is typically something a coach or cheering fan will say to encourage their fighter not to hold back. Stop hesitating, throw punches, trust your training, heart, instincts and stop waiting for the perfect moment to land the knockout.

At an event I speak at each year, I have written on the speaker’s platform where I stick my notes, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16 NIV). It serves as a reminder to let the hands go, to trust in the message, not my ability to deliver it or my clever words or stories, but to have an unshakable conviction and faith that there really is power in the gospel—no shame, no embarrassment.

So, let’s end this series with this—the power of the gospel. As you grow in your faith, stepping forward and following Jesus, I want to encourage you to use the same fearless, uncompromising confidence and boldness that the world and its channels use to tell anyone who listens that there is no God. Push back into that space, with the same resolve, resilience and gut and confidence in the gospel. Let the hands go.

I believe the Holy Spirit equips us for such things, for moments and opportunities to speak with this degree of clarity, confidence and authority. If you are asked about Jesus, or your faith, life and belief, the whisper of doubt can sound like: "don’t say too much, you might put them off", or "it sounds a bit wacky, hold back a bit". Remember, let the hands go.

The gospel is powerful; you won’t have all the answers, you may have your own disbelief and doubt, but trust the gospel and its authority to reach into the deepest places of every life.