Articles & Devotionals
Learning to Let Go
Several years ago my super wonderful wife and I set out on a death defying adventure, white water rafting on the Youghiogheny (yes, that’s the correct spelling) River in Pennsylvania. As we embarked on the adventure we were warned, “If you fall out of the raft, get away from it.” This warning might seem odd. You might think that the thing to do would be to fight aggressively to get back into the raft.
But the current can pull a person under the raft resulting in no air and a bouncing raft on your head! Sometimes, even when your feelings tell you otherwise, you’ve got to let go. The same can be true of spiritual matters in our lives. The Bible often teaches us to let go of certain things that can hurt us or slow us down in our service to the Lord. We need to learn to let go of…
Sin. The writer of Hebrews tells us to “lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). The writer here is talking about personal sin in our lives that is never dealt with through genuine repentance and change. Old sinful habits and attitudes just drag us down in our growth as a Christian. They are like weeds keeping the word of God from growing in our hearts and lives, keeping us from flourishing in the fruit of the Spirit. Why do we hold on to such sins as indifference, prejudices and pride? Don’t we know that they only keep us from living with joy and excellence in our lives?
Worry. “Anxiety in the heart of a man weighs it down” (Proverbs 12:25). That’s why we need to learn to let go of it. The apostle Paul tells us that reliance upon God is the solution to worry. He wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7). If God really exists and really cares for us, then shouldn’t we realize that he will help us deal with any problems occurring in our lives, even if he does not take the problem away? (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Paul was in prison when he wrote these words, not knowing whether he was going to live or die (Philippians 1:20-21). No matter what happened he was committed to serving Christ. If we have the same goal in our lives then we should know that the Lord is near, hearing and answering our prayers. No matter what happens, the confidence in the Lord will guard our hearts.
The past. Paul wrote about letting go of the past in Philippians 3:13-14. He talked about his former life in Judaism (3:7-12), a life that he had to count as spiritually bankrupt in order to find salvation in Jesus Christ. It was a life that even included persecuting and killing Christians (Galatians 3:13-14; Acts 8:1; 1 Timothy 1:13). When he became a Christian he had to put all that behind him, including the guilt of killing Christians. How could he do this? Because he knew he was saved in Jesus Christ! His heart was filled with gratitude to Christ (1 Timothy 1:12) and Christ’s abundant grace (1:14). He understood God’s mercy (1:16) and could say with confidence, “…for I know whim I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day” (2 Timothy 1:12). It takes a strong faith in Jesus Christ to empower us to overcome our past sins and failures. It takes a strong conviction in the mercy and grace of God to help us get over our own past and move on with gratitude and hope. This is also true in overcoming the effects of past sins against us. It takes a clear understanding of God’s grace and mercy to move us to forgive those who sin against us and leave it in the past, moving on to a positive relationship. Christ-like love can move us to be long suffering. Such love can “bear all things and endure all things”, even the heartbreak of sin against us (see 1 Corinthians 13:4-7). Such love can be so strong that it “does not take into account a wrong suffered” (13:5). Wow! The love of Christ can empower us to overcome obstacles and sins that ruin many families and relationships in life.
So, are you learning to let go? Have you come to realize that the grace and love of God is a powerful weapon against sin, worry and past failures? Why not try it—just try, by the grace of God, to let go!
