How God Holds Space—and Teaches Us to Do the Same

The Art of Loving Like Jesus, and Why Holding Space May Be the Most Sacred Thing You Ever Do

Some of the most life-giving words I’ve ever heard didn’t come from a sermon or a book. They came from a conversation—a quiet moment where the words weren’t polished, but they were real. When I asked, “What does it mean to hold space?” I didn’t expect the answer to echo so deeply through the chambers of my heart:

It wasn’t just an answer. It was remembering. It reminded me of how God is with us. And how we are meant to be with each other.

What It Really Means to Hold Space

To hold space is not to hover, control, or quickly resolve. It is to breathe in the sacredness of another person’s journey and choose to remain with them in it, even when it is uncomfortable, unclear, or unfinished. To hold space means:

• I stay present when your voice trembles.
• I don’t rush your process.
• I don’t try to reframe your pain or talk you out of your questions.
• I let your longing breathe.

It is patience when someone is unsure. Reverence when they’re raw. Celebration when they awaken. It is the heart of Jesus in every interaction—the way He listened, paused, touched, waited, and never pulled away.

How Jesus Did It

He held space for the woman at the well, letting her speak freely, knowing her whole story yet never shaming her. He held space for the disciples when they were confused, constantly reminding them of who they were becoming, not who they had been. He held space for Peter, not with condemnation but with a charcoal fire and a simple question: “Do you love me?”

Jesus didn’t push people into transformation. He walked with them into it.

Learning to Do the Same

We don’t need to be experts to hold space. We need to be willing to:

• Be quiet when we want to advise.
• Stay when the room feels heavy.
• Let someone else be the center of the story.

What might this look like in our everyday lives? With our children, we are not fixing their feelings, but listening to them. Seeing the whole of who they are becoming and loving them through the in-between. With our spouses, we are not demanding perfection, but choosing presence over productivity. With our friends, we do not offer answers before they ask for them, but create a safe space to be fully human.

There is a kind of witness the world longs to see—not just relationships we talk about, but relationships we are. The kind that don’t perform, but simply show up. In other words, you “is” who you are in every moment of your life. To “is” a relationship means you live it out loud. You let others see love being lived. Not just spoken of, but walked in. When people watch you hold space, they understand how God might be holding them.

The Sacred Work of Staying

To hold space is not a passive act. It is one of the most courageous things you will ever do. It is choosing to be a place of grace. It is practicing love that does not flinch. It is saying with your life: “I don’t have to fix you. I just have to be with you. And I’m not going anywhere.”

That is the way of Jesus. That is the way of Love. That is the way of the God Players—on the field of life, in the fire, in the unfolding story of another soul. Hold space, beloved of God. And watch what He can do with a love that simply stays.

Scriptures for the Journey

Let these scriptures guide you, not just in thought, but in practice. As you learn to hold space for others, remember: God has always been holding it for you.

Holding space is love without agenda.
Romans 12:9 (NIV) — “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”
1 Corinthians 13:5 (ESV) — “[Love] does not insist on its own way.”

Compassion without a cure.
Matthew 9:36 (NIV) — “When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
Romans 12:15 (ESV) — “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”

Presence without pressure.
Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) — “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.”
Psalm 46:1 (NIV) — “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”