When God Says “Let it Go”
22. That you put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.
23. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.
24. And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
31. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32. And you be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:22-24, 31-32
Why Can’t I Just Let it Go?
An elementary school child was riding the bus home at the end of the year, and everyone was excited about the upcoming summer. While everyone was celebrating, this child sat despondent and simply looked out the window. A classmate noticed their friend’s quietness and asked, “what’s wrong – aren’t you excited about the summer?” The kid simply replied, “I can’t seem to let go of being in my old grade.”
Believe it or not, there are so many people in the world today who can’t seem to get past their old grade, their old job, their old friends, and even their old problems. The memories could be as bitter as gall and yet so many gravitate back to those old situations that cause them pain and grief. Why can’t you just let it go? In many cases, the backward thinking has become a way of life. Rehashing the past is a ritual with many. That way of thinking and living not only produces negative energy, but it can also impact you in some very harmful ways. That backward thinking can ruin your relationships, your health, your emotions, and your finances. You cannot afford to allow the past to dictate your future and keep you from living fully in the present moment. You must learn to let it go.
Getting past the past can be painful for those who have suffered tragic losses, health struggles, and failed relationships. The Bible does not deny the struggle with letting go. But the Bible gives you great clarity why you should let go, how you should let go, and the true benefits of letting go. The Holy Spirit will lead each believer through the process of ending the backward thinking and moving forward in Christ.
Listen to the selected passages (Ephesians 4:22-24, 31-32) from the New Living Translation. Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception … Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes … Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy … Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior … Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. That’s powerful! Those words are meaningless until they are applied to those problem areas of our painful past. So, let’s go there so we can let it go.
The Costs of Holding On to Things
Right now, some are spending quality time on worthless things and have not considered the costs of holding on to them. In the manufacturing industry, there are costs associated with storing products. These are known as inventory costs. The cost of storing a product in a warehouse or storage area involves the space the product is occupying, which must be rented or depreciated. The space must also be insured against loss not counting the insurance on the product itself. Companies must pay for the climate control on that space, which involves lighting, temperature control, and maintenance. If the product is valuable, there are security costs involved as well. In much the same way, holding on to things involves inventory costs. Worry takes up space. Trying to cool down your emotions takes up energy. Every moment that those fears, anxieties, and thoughts remain in your heart, you are paying an inventory cost whether you want to or not. The Apostle Paul tells us what to do with that backward thinking. Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.
Not only are there inventory costs, but there are also Opportunity costs. The time spent dealing with those situations of the past will prevent and hinder the believer from focusing on other important things. In other words, it results in a missed opportunity to follow Christ into the newness of life. Here the Apostle Paul instructs the follower of Christ to let go in order to embrace the better things of God. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes … Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy. I could be wrong, but I doubt if there is any benefit from backward thinking. Let go and watch how God moves you forward in the life of the Spirit.
Some other costs of holding on to old things has to do with cargo costs. It is a question of who pays the freight for carrying cargo from one destination to another. The question before the Christian is this, “where are you planning to go with those past issues and problems?” How long will you carry a past that you cannot change? Do you know that Jesus is waiting to carry those burdens? In other words, Jesus offers free shipping to everyone who will bring their cares to the Cross. The great invitation of Matthew 11:28-30 still applies to everyone. Jesus said, “Come to Me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest … for My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light. Jesus is saying, “I offer free shipping and I will take all your burdens away.” So, here’s the deal. If you turn down Jesus offer, you are literally sinning against God by thinking that you know more about your problem than He does. Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit with your DIY (do-it-yourself) strategies. Let go and let God.
When is it Time to Let Go
Make no mistake about it, letting go is not as simple as putting off a garment, which is the reference Paul uses in these verses. Let’s consider Paul’s situation and some of the issues he faced. First, he wrote the Ephesian letter from a prison cell. He had done nothing wrong and yet he was accused by the religious leaders of defiling the Temple at Jerusalem. We know that Paul was advanced in years; he was old. Yet, he recognized the value of letting go of the past in order to embrace the full life of the Holy Spirit. You might conclude that the Apostle Paul knew firsthand what it meant to suffer wrongly and yet he could let go of those things for the excellency of experiencing Jesus Christ.
So, let’s explore how Paul knew or realized when it was time to let go of the cares he faced. First, you will hear God’s Voice when it is time to let it go. The Apostle did not sit around and think about clever things to say. He was a messenger of God and a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. God had forewarned Paul on the Damascus Road that he “would suffer many things for My Name Sake.” Acts 9:16. We can conclude from this revelation that Paul understood that he needed to let go in order to continue to advance the Gospel of Christ. God told Him how to let go. At one point in his life, a thorn in the flesh was causing tremendous pain and Paul asked God to get rid of it. God instead, spoke to Paul and reminded him that His Grace was sufficient. Paul let it go.
You will also know by the circumstances when it is right to let it go. This is called the season in the Bible. Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us that there is a time and a season for everything under the sun. There is a time to weep and a time to stop weeping. There is a time to tear away and a time to sow. There is a time to build and a time to tear down. Everything has its season. You will know from the circumstance if something has gone past its season. Why keep watering a dead plant? Why keep trying to ride a horse if it has died? Why keep reliving a past experience if it was in the past? You can tell from the turning of the leaves that the Fall season has come. In the same way, you can tell by the dawning of a new day that God wants you to live for today and not for yesterday.
In the Bible, the Prophet Samuel was upset that God had rejected Saul as king over Israel. Samuel wept and prayed until God finally told him to stop praying for things to change with Saul. “Go anoint the son of Jesse as the next king of Israel.” 1 Samuel 16:1. The circumstances had changed; Saul’s season was over, and a new king was to be anointed. In order for God’s people to witness new opportunities to serve God, we cannot keep lamenting the past. What we did before COVID was a season. Now we must move on to new things and serve God with all our heart, mind, and soul. Just let it go.
Knowing How to Let Go
Knowing it is time to let go is different from knowing how to let it go. There are a lot of believers who know it is time, but if you check with them later, you will find them still holding on to the past. So, now we must address the really difficult assignment of knowing how to let go. This is not a one and done endeavor. It may take a while, but if you never start the process, you will never experience the victory. Everything centers around God’s Word. The Word becomes your Master recording. It will overwrite any previous messages from your past and set in motion God’s recovery plan.
Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy … Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior … Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. The Master recording is all about your new nature and not anything from the past. Why? Because you were created in Christ Jesus to be like God in true righteousness and true holiness.
Letting go starts with calling on God. I reflect on the life of Jesus; if our Lord saw the necessity of prayer, where do we get the idea that we can make it without prayer. In letting go, we find that prayer helps us to get past the sticky stuff. It is one thing to go through a sickness, but then you have to face the sticky stuff of your emotions trying to either blame God or question God as to why we had to go through that experience. That attitude is no different from the attitude of the children of Israel. Most of them grumbled and complained the entire forty years in the wilderness. Complaining is sticky stuff and it will get all over you. You have to pray it loose in order to let go. So, pray it loose.
We must not only pray it loose, with God’s strength, we must also pry it loose. Yes, letting go involves determination or steadfastness in order to pry it loose. Paul does not say that God will do these things for us. As a matter of fact, he tells us, YOU put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy … YOU get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior … Instead, YOU be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. With God’s help you can pry loose the effects of the world, you can let go.
Lastly, in the process of letting go, you will need to praise it loose. It is no secret that the Psalms exhort us to praise God in all seasons and under all circumstances. There is never an inappropriate time to praise God. You don’t need God’s permission to offer praise. Praise is always welcomed in Heaven, and it is always needed on earth.
When you praise God, you are declaring that your soul is anchored in God. When you praise God, you are saying that your heart is satisfied with God’s Goodness. After all, God is not good every now and then. God is Good all the time. No wonder, King David declared, I will bless the Lord at all times and His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1. We may not realize that David wrote that song when he was in a sticky situation. He was in the camp of the Philistines and did not know what to do so he pretended to be insane. Realizing later that the situation would have gone differently if he had let go with a praise, he wrote a song of worship. Let go of every crazy thing. Let go of every bad thing. Let go of every hard thing. Let go by giving God all the praise.