Letting go is not a one-and-done activity. We can’t check it off our bucket list or inventory of goals; this is a lifelong practice.
Letting go of what, you might ask. Well, simply put, everything. Our plans, our children, concerns great and small, details, the future, the past — you name it, and we need to relinquish it.
Why do we try to hold on? What are we afraid of? We think our control keeps us safe, but it keeps us bound. So, what can we learn from scripture about surrendering our control?
In Philippians 2:5-11, it says Jesus relinquished his position and power to become a man to allow God’s purpose of redemption to be fulfilled. Abraham had to let go of his son, Isaac, and the promises associated with him when God asked him to sacrifice Isaac on the mountain. (Genesis 22:1-18) Joseph needed to relinquish his feelings toward his brothers and trust God to use him despite all that had happened against him. (Genesis 37, 39, and Genesis 50:17-21)
In each of these examples, surrender brought victory, along with a clearer understanding of who God is and his ability to do what he says he will do.
Relinquishing control may seem like jumping off a cliff into the unknown, but really it is allowing God to catch us, knowing he will not fail us. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
I don’t know about you, but just when I think I am getting pretty good at letting go, another test comes along to prove I need God’s help again. I have come to realize there is no effortless way to grasp this lifelong lesson. God teaches each of us how to surrender to him one step at a time. The more we trust him for the everyday things we face, the easier it becomes to place things in his care.
The truth is that letting go allows God to hold us, to heal us and to transform us. To live a life of peace, joy and freedom, we must master the art of letting go. This skill takes practice, so don’t be afraid to let go and let God!
Robin Killeen is the founder of W.O.W. Women of Wisdom. Reach her at (228) 424-0098 and learn more at www.wowcommunity.org.
