Letting go is one of the most difficult decision to make in life. No matter what is your age, gender, beliefs, profession, or even your view in life, you have experienced letting go or you might need to let go of a few things in your life. This is one of the things which is easier said than done. It takes a great effort, energy, will power, strength and courage to let go. This is also a painful, uncomfortable, and long process. It's not a one time big time event. It takes time.
WHAT OR WHOM TO LET GO
Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.
32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
As stated in the verse, these are the things to let go, but it's not just feelings or emotions. There is always a choice to choose form and a decision to make.
❤️ Negativity
Most of the times we tend to dwell on the circumstances that we face. We tend to get bitter, point fingers, blame others, and nurture the pain and hurt we felt. It is somehow rewarding at the beginning but it gets too heavy as time passes by. It's like holding on to a glass of water. At first it isn't heavy but as time goes by it gets heavier and heavier until your arms feel like giving up from too much tiredness. It's logical to get hurt, afterall we are humans. We have feelings and emotions but we must never make it as an excuse not to grow and get better. Been there done that.
~ This also include hurtful words, disappointments, rejections, frustrations, mistakes, sins, unforgivingness, and so many more. These things sound common but it leave scars.
❤️ Memories
For me it's useless to dwell on the things that has happened in the past. The time has passed and there's no point on keeping yourself surrounded by painful memories. I'm not telling you to completely forget someone or something, what I'm trying to imply is that we can no longer do something to change the past and that is why we must focus on the future. Most memories are precious but not everything is helpful. Some memories are better off forgotten but every memory has taught you something for sure.
~ The memories might be painful, exhausting, and emotionally draining, but it's part of you. It is what makes the stronger and better version of yourself.
❤️ Opportunity
There are so many doors to open but only a few are courageous enough to leave opportunities thinking that it's the only door that will be opened to you. You might have a high paying job, yet you lose your peace, serenity and time with your family and friends. You might be working just because it's the only thing that's left for you to do even when your boss or colleagues don't appreciate whatever you do.
~ Yes, we need money in order to live but if your health, safety, and sanity is at stake, what's the point of continuously drowning yourself to something that kills you slowly?
~ There are more better opportunities for you. Not because you are rejected once, you will never try again.
❤️ Vices
I've never seen anyone who has a positive outcome when he has vices. Addiction to porn leads to a more serious sin. You just read an SPG part of a book, until you want to see images vividly, then you want to go and try doing the same thing. Which will eventually make you end up doing it. Unprotected sex which leads to unwanted pregnancy, broken relationship, and when you don't want to take on the responsibility, you can just simply get rid of the baby. I know it's your body but the baby is not the one to blame. It all comes back to the fact that 'you're just curious'. When you're a drunkard, you're slowly killing your physical body as well as your mind. You don't get to think the same due to the alcohol's spirit. When you're a gambler, you think that a small amount is nothing compared to what you're going to gain when you win not until you've used up all your riches just to keep your gambling lifestyle. When you're on drugs, your sane mind gets overcome by it which causes you to be deranged and unable to think healthily and rationaly. You become dependent on these things to make you happy. You are unable to appreciate the people around you.
'I'm just having fun.'
'I'll just take a sip.'
'I'm just curious.'
'One time or second time will do me no harm.'
' I just wanted to forget my problems.'
~ These are just a few examples of people who has vices. Most of the times when these things are not put in control on an early age, it leads to a higher, uncontrollable level. The truth is after getting drunk, the problem is still there. It's not try that you have forgotten your pain, in fact your hangover caused another pain. This is a lie to all of us that in order to be happy we need these things. Happiness can never be found in ruining yourself. This also greatly affects the people around you.
❤️ Person
When you're hurt too much that no words can express the pain you feel all that's left to you is yourself and your pain. We all come to a point when we think that no one can understand us. We even say the things we don't mean because we are in too much pain.
'You don't know how I feel because you are not in my shoes'.
'You can never understand me because you have never felt this way.'
I get it that you're in pain bad your rationality is getting eaten by your pain but please don't close the door to people who truly cares for you. You don't always need to experience the same thing they experience in order for you to understand and sympathize with others. What you need is an open heart for them.
~ You might have just experienced break up with your lover. It's painful I know but what's the point of holding on to someone who wants to be free from your grasp?
~ You might have lost someone dear to you. It might be your family, friend, lover, colleague, classmate or even someone you just knew. It might have shocked you, pained you to the extent of getting numb from all the pain knowing that you can never see your loved ones for he is dead. It's never easy but the healing and restoration is at hand.
❤️ Relationships
As I grow old I continue to realize many things which I can't see when I was a child. I get to experience difficulty in dealing with others. I am introvert and I like keeping things to myself which wasn't helpful either.
~ Friendship is a vital key towards reaching a certain level of yourself which you can never reach without them. True friends can be kept forever. Even when you don't often see each other the connection is there. You might have asked yourself of what you did wrong to get stabbed in the back, but maybe that person isn't really a true friend. That person might have been an instrument to make you realize that not everyone is worth keeping. As immature as I was, I felt like owning the few people close to me which has caused them to distance themselves from me and told me that they no longer want to be my friends. I was hurt but I know that there's no point in trying to keep myself in the friendship that they don't want anymore. I let go even when I was left alone. Not because you treat them as a friend they will treat you the same.
~ Lover, boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, are the people who will make you feel special and treat you the way you deserve and make you realize that you want to spend the rest of your life with them. As the relationship grows old it's either your bond gets tighter or your bond loosens. When the relationship is abusive physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and it sucks the life out of you it's one of the signs that you need to let go. Do not just think of the years, memories, plans or commitment you made to each other when you, yourself knows that it's not worth fighting for anymore. You might have been considering breaking up or wanting to get out of a relationship but your promise keeps you tied up but remember yourself as well. How are you?
WHEN TO LET GO
Isaiah 43:18-19
18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
There are so many things to consider before letting go. You have to think of your welfare and the welfare of the one you're letting go. I know this will hurt you big time but if it's what's going to help you grow then so be it. As much as possible you want to keep holding on to someone or something even if you're the only one left to hold on but it's not always worth the risk. It is distractive, hurtful, draining and unbearable at times.
❤️ Let go when you're not growing anymore.
Just as to how the humans grow physically as time passes by, the time to let go comes when your growth is being hindered by what you're holding on to. We are not meant to stagnate and stay the same. We are meant to grow and flourish.
~ In any case or relationship the choice is always yours. I hope that you don't keep on caging yourself with what ifs' and regret. Do not allow yourself to keep on believing the things which are not meant to be.
❤️ Let go when it breaks you.
When you keep on holding on to something that keeps on breaking you, it's like stopping the pain on a wound when you keep on allowing him to pour salt on your wound. You don't want to be in pain anymore and yet you can't muster up the courage to get away from what's hurting you.
~ When you are in an abusive relationship you need to let go. When you're in a toxic relationship you need to let go. When a person loves you he wouldn't hurt you. He will never make you feel useless, worthless, and unlovable. Break away from getting abused. No matter how you love that person when he hurts you, it's not love anymore. It's not selfish to let go when it's too much.
~ When will you let go? When you can't even breathe anymore? Upto what extent can you live in pain? When you're too broken that nothing else can fix you?
❤️ Let go when God tells you to.
I remember a story about a man who fell on a cliff in a dark night on a forest. He asked God for help because he was hanging by a branch on the cliff. God told him to let go of the beach but he didn't. He told God that he will die if he do so. So the man kept on clinging onto the branch until the morning came. He was actually on the highway with just one inch above the ground.
~ If only he let go when God told him so, then he wouldn't need to stay up all night holding onto the branch. Most of the times we are like this. We keep on holding on even when God told us to let go. When we let go, we allow God to take control over our lives, but when we don't we are just harming ourselves.
HOW TO LET GO
Hebrews 12:1 NIV
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,
Hebrews 12:1 NLT
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
❤️ Throw off everything that hinders you.
It is never easy thing to let go. As I said on the first part of this article it is a long and painful process. It's not as if you're trying to leave your past. It is actually about accepting the past and embracing the future ahead of you. Allow your present circumstance to mold you into a better you. Better days are coming for you.
~ It's difficult to do this especially when it has been your comfort zone but it surely is the best decision to make. When you plant a seed it is not a tree by tomorrow. It take years for it to grow and before it has grown into a strong and tall tree it has undergone different seasons. The changing season grew it stronger and better. The same thing applies to us. We don't need to rush ourselves.
❤️ Strip off every weight that slows you down.
A runner is fast when he runs because he doesn't have any baggage, but when a runner runs with a baggage it slows him down. Of you really want to reach your full potential you need to allow yourself to feely move. Put down everything that causes you to stagnate.
~ Everytime you start anew it is never easy, but it is always worth it when you see the end result. The decision is yours to make.
❤️ Repent for the sins you have committed.
You must forgive yourself before you forgive others. Stop blaming yourself and start allowing God to help you become better. No one can ever change someone except God. He is the potter and we are the clay. He has the sole authority to mold us but without us giving Him the permission to do so, He can never take over our lives.
~ There is still a chance to experience change and a life of freedom from all sins. It is a lifelong journey but the good thing is that God is with us all throughout the whole journey. We don't have to go through it alone.
WHY WILL YOU LET GO
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
"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."
❤️ Let Go for yourself.
When you look up at the sky and see the air balloons it adds up color to the beautiful scenery. It has the capacity to go high up when you let it go. It is the same as the logic that applies to us. There are more possibilities and doors opened to us when we let go of the past and the things that weighs us down. When a hot air balloon has too many passengers, it is difficult for it to soar high, but when there are no extra baggages it can meet it's full potential.
~ God has a plan and His plans are always better and greater than ours. We might not know the reason for the pain we feel but it surely is not a waste of time. And lastly...
❤️ Let Go and Let God.
Peter 5:7 NLT
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
~ Allow God to move freely in your life. He cares. He knows everything. He never turned a blind eye in anything. He is always there. Even when we don't see, feel, or hear Him, He has always been there for us. Have Faith.
LOVE_16
November 20, 2020
Friday
Most importantly: Let go of religion!