Letting Go!!! by ArKimberly Jiles

“Letting Go”

In this life disappointment is inevitable and the pain that is felt as a result of it can be debilitating. Debilitate by definition means to hinder, delay, or weaken. For some those three words alone sound quite familiar. You may have felt hindered by someone or something in life. At one time or another you’ve felt like your blessings have been delayed. And if you’re like most, the trials and test that seem to plague your life have weakened you in one or multiple facets. Whether that weakening has been felt spiritually, emotionally, mentally or even physically, you can relate.  

 Hinder, Delay, and Weaken; three powerful words that many may categorize as words of defeat. And for some of you reading this, defeated is exactly how you feel. Many feel defeated by friends, defeated by family and even defeated by the enemy. It’s almost like every time you take one step forward you feel as if you’re knocked back five. The pain, the disappointments, all of life’s inflictions have seemed to weigh you down. But may I suggest to you that it’s time for you to let all of those self defeating, negative thoughts and debilitating ideas go. It’s time for you to let go of the fear, let go of the unforgiveness and let go of the pain that has kept you down. It’s time for you to let go of all of the things that are keeping you from accepting what God has in store for you. Your blessed place.

 Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” 

 God has an exceptional and grace filled future planned for you but you can’t obtain it with that old mindset of defeat nor the weights of pain and misery that you have held on to. It’s time to release EVERYTHING that the enemy has held you captive to. Perhaps it’s time for your great Exodus. While encouraging you, I’m reminded of a story in the Bible where the children of Israel were crying out to God for someone to deliver them from the oppressive rule of Pharaoh while in Egypt. God heard their cry and sent Moses to deliver his people. For many years, the children of Israel had been under the repressive rulership of Egypt’s king. Some of the sojourners even began to adapt to the consequences of the burdens and weight of slavery. They were in bondage in Egypt but how are you being enslaved? Although the children of Israel were physically in Egypt, may I suggest to you that the enemy is still using this same “oppressive spirit” to capture the minds and hearts of people today. You don’t have to stay in Egypt, you don’t have to be bound by the mistakes of your past. You don’t have to keep that negative mindset of defeat. God wants to deliver you with his strong and mighty hand by washing away all the enemies of complacency that are attacking your mind. He wants to deliver you just as he delivered the children of Israel.

God not only answered the children of Israel’s prayer and cry for deliverance, but he ended up giving them victory over the very thing that had been keeping them in bondage. He allowed them to walk away with more than what they came into the country with. This didn’t sit too well with the Egyptians’ king. So Pharaoh attempted to come behind the children of Israel because he wanted to keep them bound, he didn’t like the idea of them being free. And so it is with many of you, the enemy wants to keep you bound with thoughts of inferiority, shame and guilt. The enemy wants to come after you like Pharaoh went after the children of Israel, but the devil is a liar and the truth is not in him. God came that you may have life and that more abundantly. God came that you may be free spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally. And maybe up until this point you’ve said well I’m not really struggling with letting go of old mindsets, and that may be true for some of you, however is there a habit you need to break? A person that you need to disconnect from? What temporary object are you are allowing to exalt itself against the knowledge of who God should be in your life? What are you holding on to that ultimately prevents you from letting go of all that Satan offers to gratify your flesh? All of the things that Satan offers you comes with one agenda or intention, that is to prevent you from receiving God as Christ and Savior of your life. Don’t you think it’s time to let go? Don’t you think it’s time to throw away the old and make room for the new. God wants to make you a NEW creation. 

II Corinthians 5:17 tells us, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

 Don’t allow anyone to make you feel unworthy of the change of heart, and change of mindset that God wants to complete in you. There is absolutely nothing so horrible that you’ve done that can’t be forgiven and forgotten by God. Find rest in knowing that God has a plan for your life and it includes JOY and FREEDOM! He knows how deep the pain is and he knows exactly where to meet you in order to gently heal you. Join your faith with God and so many others around the world by choosing to, “let go and let God.”

 Psalm 46:10 admonishes us to “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

The Hebrew definition of “still” means to let go, release or surrender. I know you’ve experienced some severe situations in your life that have left a root of bitterness. I know it seems like everyone is against you and nothing is working in your favor. But there is one standing with open arms ready to flood you with an abundance of favor and love. 

Jesus Christ. 

He wants to be gracious unto you and forgive you for all the things of your past, but you must be willing to let go. 

 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors . . . . . (Mathew 6:12)

We can’t possibly be forgiven by God if we aren’t willing to forgive others for the wrong they’ve done to us.  I’m reminded of another story in the Bible about an unforgiving servant.  There was a man that owe a great deal of money to a king yet the man didn’t have the resources to pay what he borrowed. The King was ready to sale the servant and his family in exchange for the payment that was rightfully due to him, but the servant fell down and asked for forgiveness. What do you know? Through the compassion given by the king the servant was forgiven and cleared of all his debts. However, that very same day the servant that was forgiven went out and found a fellow brother that owe him money as well. When the servant that owe the money asked the servant which had been forgiven if he could also receive forgiveness  the servant denied him forgiveness and cast him into prison.

 So you see, when you withhold forgiveness from any person or any situation you’re really withholding freedom. You’re keeping them in bondage because you won’t “Let Go” or release them. I pray that you would choose the forgiving road and release all the baggage that has kept you in bondage from being the true child of God that you were born to be. 

 

ArKimberly Jiles