Letting go is easier said than done. You don’t get through life without learning to let go of things.
Parents understand the anguish of letting go of their child, releasing her or him to encounter a frightening world. Those rejected by a spouse, who no longer want to be married, experience the struggle of letting go.
Sooner or later each of us encounters situations beyond our control. The longer we hold on to that which is outside of our means, efforts, or resources to change, can be frustrating.
You may be familiar with the phrase: “Let go and let God!” Sounds right, doesn’t it? After all, to let God solve our problem, deliver us from our mess, and help us handle the awkwardness and painfulness that is associated with “letting go,” is what we want.
So, why is letting go so hard?
One reason is: To “let God” requires me to “let go,” first. And, “letting go” can be frightening. Relinquishment requires trust.
Am I confident that God loves my child more than I care for him or her? Am I assured – despite the pain of rejection I’m feeling – that God accepts and loves me unconditionally and forever?
Another reason is: To “let God” requires me to confront my fear, pride and sense of entitlement, my resentments, and other base attributes that cling to me. The author of Hebrews admonishes us:
“…let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith…” [1]
Consider the word “let.” It denotes my cooperation with God’s desire. I confess: Too often I say I want to “let God,” but I’m still unwilling to cooperate with a higher purpose than mine. I want the weight to lift, but not enough to let go – to trust that God indeed has my back!
What do we need to let go of? What’s weighing us down? Are we ready to cooperate with God’s purpose, acknowledge our fear, humble ourselves and confess our sins, and “let go and let God?”
[1] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), Heb 12:1–2.