What does it mean to really let go? How do we get to the place where we are no longer holding on to stuff? I believe we arrive at such destination when we find a purpose to live for that drives us to want the future God has for us. We can genuinely let go when we find a fulfilment that overrides the stuff we are holding on to. This is the place where we recognise that whatever happened to us cannot determine what will happen in the future unless we allow it.
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces w settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Philippians 4:6-7 (MSG)
In this beautiful and sacred life God has blessed us with, stuff will always be thrown our way, but how do we come out of our unpleasant experiences unscarred or unscathed? How do we not let what we have gone through direct the narrative of our lives? To let go will mean that, the situation affected a moment of our lives but it doesn’t get to affect the whole of our season.
I love Frozen movie and obviously a sucker for Let it go song. You can practically hear me screaming the chorus out. Elsa set herself free to embrace her future when she finally decided to let go of the fear that had tormented her, her whole life. The liberation and the freedom she felt once she set herself free was magical like her powers.
Like Elsa, we may be in bondage by an event, hurt, disappointment, failure, mistake and the list goes on. This could have affected us for a long or short time. It doesn’t really matter how long it has been. All that matters is that, God does not want us to carry this burden anymore. He has more for us in our future and we just cannot live in our past mistakes or failures. He says in Isaiah 43 that we should forget the former things.
18 But the Lord says, “Do not cling to events of the past or dwell on what happened long ago. 19 Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already—you can see it now! I will make a road through the wilderness and give you streams of water there.
Isaiah 43:18-19 (GNT)
The devil will constantly remind you of your past whilst God presents you with the future He has planned for you.
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 hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
The devil is a father of lies and so naturally he has nothing useful to offer you. God is your creator who created you with purpose and plans and so all He wants is your good. So I pose this question, “Whose report will you believe?”
Interestingly enough, when Jacob stole Esau’s blessings from their father, Isaac told Esau that his brother will reign over him as long as he allows it but when he decides to let go of the offence, he can become all he is destined to be. Esau had a choice to continue to hate his brother who had offended him all his life, or to listen to his father and let go so he can finally start living his own life.
You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. But when you decide to break free, you will shake his yoke from your neck.
Genesis 27:40 (NLT)
When we circle around the issue, we give it power to dominate in our lives. Isaac saw this in Esau as he blessed him; he saw that he will struggle to forgive his brother. What is fascinating is that Jacob stole stuff from Esau but Isaac said Esau will be in bondage. This is because unforgiveness is like a prison that keeps us bound to the offender. Therefore when we hold unforgiveness towards others, we give them the power to rule over our lives. The spirit of unforgiveness dictate the course of our life and keep us stuck in that space until we are ready to release it. It is very crucial to release an offence as quickly as it was meted out to us, so we can set ourselves free from the offender. We find in the following verses that as Isaac prophesied, Esau struggled to forgive Jacob.
From that time on, Esau hated Jacob because their father had given Jacob the blessing. And Esau began to scheme: “I will soon be mourning my father’s death. Then I will kill my brother, Jacob.”
Genesis 27:40 (NLT)
Ultimately, later on in the life of the twins we find out that Esau was as blessed as Jacob because he had finally made a decision not let his unforgiving heart control his future. He let go and embraced the future God had for him. When the brother’s finally met they had an awesome reconciliation.
But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and hugged his neck and kissed him, and they wept [for joy]. 5 Esau looked up and saw the women and the children, and said, “Who are these with you?” So Jacob replied, “They are the children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the maids approached with their children, and they bowed down. 7 Leah also approached with her children, and they bowed down. Afterward Joseph and Rachel approached, and they bowed down. 8 Esau asked, “What do you mean by all this company which I have met?” And he answered, “[These are] to find favour in the sight of my lord.” 9 But Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.”
Genesis 33:4-9 (AMP)
There’s a man who lives in a tiny portion of the Bible but had a profound encounter with God that changed the trajectory of his life. He was born in pain and his mother named him pain and so pain was his life narrative until he prayed the boldest life changing prayer popularly known as the prayer of Jabez.
There was a man named Jabez who was more honourable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. 10 He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request.
1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (NLT)
Jabez could have chosen to keep the label of pain the world had given him all his life. He could have settled into his familiar mediocre environment, since after all he was more honourable than his brothers. But he made a choice to let his past go and reach out for the higher place God had destined for him. God is faithful, when we reach out from our lowly place He does come through for us. Right from when I was a child I fell in love with Jabez, I learnt early that I could pray life changing prayers and God will grant my request. What if God has been waiting all this while for that life-changing prayer from you? What if all God wants with you is for you to hand over your burden so he can give you what he had planned for you?
There may be something in your past the devil reminds you of to keep you stuck or there may be an experience that the devil keeps playing as Eben usually says, like a tape recorder on repeat. Whatever is holding you back, be it disappointment, hurt, failure, shame, you name them; God is giving you a life changing chance to release it and let Him give you what He had planned for you all this while.
Something happened at work that made me unhappy and the scenario kept playing in my head like a tape recorder. I had all my responses prepared and planned ready to deliver to the recipient. I kept going through how I will handle the situation over and over again until God stopped me one day and said “Cathy you need to let it go so I can take care of this for you”. Initially I couldn’t even get the recorder to stop but my relentless God was really loud and clear as He brought me to this place of surrendering the whole issue to Him. Once I did, I felt so free in my spirit. The recorder stopped playing as my mind and spirit refocused on my purpose in life. It was indeed a liberating moment for me. Not worrying about how this will play out eventually but just being happy that I get to live my life with no strings attached.
Going through this liberating experience doesn’t guarantee that bad things won’t happen to us again, but what it means is that when bad things happen to us, we control how it affects our lives. That is the freedom and self-control God wants for us. Not to live as bondservant but to live as free people.
Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.
Galatians 5:1 (MSG)
There’s a beautiful life on the other side of this hurdle, all we have to do to lay claim of it, is to let go and jump over to the other side.
Are you ready? On your mark, get set, let go!!!! Now I will play Let it Go!
May you be filled with the Fullness of God and the Power of His Love!
