Finding Strength to Let Go When You'd Rather Hold On

Sometimes it can do more damage to hold on than to let go. It may feel like nothing could be worse than the impending pain or uncertainty of the future if "this"(whatever your this is) doesn't work out, but trust me, there is.Life is full of transition. Right now, everything in my life is changing, and my first instinct is to hold on to what has been (i.e., what has made mehappy and comfortable), but I know shouldn't. As Christians, our life should be dynamic and full of growth - not marked by complacency. It's easy to get attached to one piece of the puzzle, but we can't place all of our hope in one thing - whether it's a person, job, relationship status, etc... because that's where the danger lies.

Related Article: Faith and Patience

The goal is to live open-handed, palms up to God, knowing that His ways are higher than our own. What He chooses to give us is for our good, and what He chooses to take away is not meant to break or discourage us. Rather, everything we face should remind us that our life has a purpose bigger than ourselves. It's all for His glory. If we hold on too tightly to a created thing instead of trusting our Creator, it will weaken our faith and allow doubt and fear to creep in, making it harder to trust His plan and let go of our own.  As a result, we may try "re-gain" control instead of surrendering it.

Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. - Proverbs 16:3-4

You don't have to fear what's ahead - let go and follow. We can trust our unknown future to a known and loving God. He knows it all. Albeit, it's not always an easy thing to do, but it's a must if you desire to grow in Christ. As you fight to stay surrendered in times of uncertainty, I want you to remember three things:1. God Knows What He's DoingHe sees the end from the beginning and everything in between. There is nothing too hard for God to understand or too big for Him to accomplish. If He's leading you down a certain path, there's no need to worry or try to control every outcome. He created you, the world, and everything in it. You can trust His guidance completely.2. Letting Go Makes Space If you don't let go of the past, you can't fully grab onto the future.  Jesus didn't sacrifice himself on the cross to save us from the slavery of sin so that we could live a mediocre life with our best days behind us. Absolutely Not! Jesus came to give us abundant life (John 10:10).  You can let the past go and look forward with hope knowing that God is working all things together for your good according to His purpose.3. God cares about your characterGod is shaping us into the image of Christ.  And though God will indeed give us the desires of our heart when we trust in Him, He won't give them to us at the expense of our spiritual growth. Trusting God in uncertainty is one way we grow in our faith and learn more about God's character. After all, we walk by faith and not by sight.If you don't remember anything else, remember this - The best is always yet to come.  So don't be afraid to let go.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. - Proverbs 3:5-6