Letting Go

The last several months have been exciting and trying and emotional and stressful and…..a real opportunity to let go of so many things…….many of them material, but also to let go of weight. I mentioned earlier that I recently got promoted to a new position and over the past several months, a couple of friends have helped me let go of so many material things. They were things I didn’t need but wanted at the time and then it was too difficult for me to give them away on my own. 

It was such a shame because much of it was never used. Thank the Lord they are now blessing others. My point is that I was holding on to things that weren’t mine. They were probably never meant for me, but for them to pass through me to others. Yes, now they have them, but how might they have been blessed with those items earlier. Yes, we are to operate in God’s timing (Lam 3:25-26), but do we on occasion slow down our process of maturation by holding on to things from our past that prevent us from being free and moving into our next space? I believe so. I believe we are our greatest obstacle. I believe we get in our own way more than the devil can ever harm us. 

I recently learned that my desire to make my family and friends proud and never be ashamed of me was placing me in bondage. I wasn’t free to operate for fear that I would somehow disappoint those closest to me and that my performance was why they loved me. Some would say that’s ridiculous and I would have said the same thing….about someone else and until I realized, it was a huge motivating factor in my life. Now, I understand it was a blind spot for me. Now that it’s in the open, I’ve more conscious of when I’m performing for acknowledgement. I’m letting go of the weight of that. I don’t have to carry it. I’m to work as unto the Lord and the rest will take care of itself (Col 3:23-24). 

I can let go of all the stuff and all the weight. He gives us grace for what He has for us to do (2 Cor 12:9). The question is how much will we give Him (1 Pet 5:7-9)? If we hold onto it too, He’ll back off because we might get it twisted and confused that we had something to do with the ultimate outcome. Our letting go of the material and mental things that hold us back, allows us to see more clearly. It allows God space to move in our lives, where we’ve kept it filled before. 

I don’t know about you, but I want all that God has for me. I don’t want to be the reason that I miss out of His purpose and His plan. It can definitely be scary walking into the unknown but God is already there, so what is there to fear. Even when I don’t know, He does (Isa 46:10). 

I encourage you to take stock of your life and let go of those things (whether material, mental, or spiritual) that are holding you back and step out into your future with God. Given all the stories in the bible when God’s followers stepped out in faith (where He directed them) and were blessed beyond measure, I feel honored that He’d choose me for this particular journey. I thank Him that I’ll now be a bit lighter on this next leg of the journey. On your next leg, I hope you will be, too. Be blessed.