2 min read
Letting Go
I have a hard time letting go. My house is overflowing with books I’ve never read, outfits I’ve never worn, and projects I’ll never get to. I also have the tendency to cling to resentments, self-criticism, and even unhealthy relationships.
These things that I cling to weigh my spirit down yet, the difficulty for me is to muster the will and courage to throw out, release, give away, or sell what I don’t use or need. I wished desperately I was one of those people who adhered to the steadfast rule, “If it doesn’t serve a good or useful purpose, and you’ve had it more than a year, toss it!”
For the last two weeks I’ve been packing boxes and sorting through possessions, deciding what to keep and what to throw away. With every decision I make I fall into the “What if” trap thinking “What if “someday I need this 1980’s crockpot or that old moth- eaten blanket? As I reminisce through shoe boxes full of old greeting cards, pictures and souvenirs, I wonder “why have I kept these silly things when they invade my closet and gather dust.”
Why is letting go of old clothing, unhealthy relationships or negative thoughts difficult for most people.
Could it be that we have become too attached to them?
Jesus warns us to let go of earthly things, He tells us not to store up things that moth and rust will devour. (Matt:6 19-20) yet there is something about my stuff and people that gives me a false sense of security, And I wonder what it is?
On some level I’m afraid to let go because I’m afraid of the freedom and responsibility that comes from letting go. The freedom to release myself from the burden of dashed dreams, unfinished business and unmet expectations and the responsibility that comes with cultivating new hope, new plans, and new beliefs.
Letting go is hard, and some things are easier to let go than others. But when we place a false sense of security on people, places or things we give up our power to be secure within ourselves and our higher power.
Letting go, means creating space, and that space leaves room for new possibilities. Like clearing out a messy bedroom and removing all the furniture, all of a sudden, we see the beauty of that space. Earthly things weigh us down and by clearing space in our minds, our closets or making room for new relationships, we usher in the hope of new possibilities in Christ.
In John 8:36, the author speaks about the true and everlasting freedom is in Christ. And Ecclesiastes 6 , further speaks to the need of …”a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away.”
When things in our life consume too much of our energy and peaceful space, be it negative thoughts or an over- abundance of stuff, or people, we often miss the opportunity to hear God’s call. Our need to fill up our space leaves little or no room for quiet contemplation and connection with God. While we cling steadfast to our earthly hopes and dreams; dresses remain unworn, canvases unpainted, and relationships go stale.
Instead of being enslaved to earthly masters, God wants us to clear space in our minds, hearts, and surroundings. He beckons us to be filled with the light of love by His sovereign grace, so that we may never feel empty again.
