How to truly let go and let God? I want to feel faith in the toughest of times…
Letting go is one of the most difficult actions we can take – and yet it is the path to true freedom.
We may gain a lot of great intellectual ideas and concepts but until we apply them and make them practice in our lives they do little more than provide entertainment for the mind.
We’re better off to go beyond the intellectual idea of letting go.
The alternative to letting go is attachment. When you begin to think about that which you love, work for, and could not bear to part with, you’ve found the things you’re attached to.
We start at an early age. My two year old daughter has a few favorite toys that are very important to her. As we get older and “grow up” not much changes except the size and price of our toys! The thing is we can choose to enjoy our toys, our life, our relationships without attachment! In fact life is much more enjoyable without attachments.
When you let go of your attachment to a thing you are free to enjoy it in the moment. You’re not worrying about the past or the future of the thing.
Often the attachment shows up in an idea about how we think the relationship with a person or thing should be. When it’s not like we think it should be go into worry and fear about what might happen. It’s downhill from there. Then we need insurance, legal agreements, etc – all to hold something together that we’re attached to – something that we’ll eventually be forced to let go of.
Let’s consider a relationship with another person for a moment. It may even be a spouse. Did you know that you can love and cherish that person without attachment?
If you can enjoy them without fear of losing them tomorrow or next year, without worry about that comment they made last month about you – you are enjoying an “unattached” relationship.
There is no better way to destroy a relationship than becoming too attached to the person and how they should be.
Living with attachment is fear based living – letting go requires faith not fear.
When we gain a good grasp of the belief that God is in control and that all is well we can live and act freely. That is not to say we become doormats. Consider the example of Jesus. He powerfully stood for what He believed – even to death – He simply wasn’t attached or entangled with the physical aspects of life.
Attachment siphons off the power we have to live now – in this moment.
Letting go accepts what is along with unlimited possibilities. That is faith.
Have you ever considered that when you develop powerful attachments to things that you actually eliminate some of the options that God may have in store for you? It’s true!
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.(KJV)
This verse tells us that there is a substance to faith. The feeling or knowing that what you believe in will come to you is a very real power. It’s evidence to you even if what you hope for has not materialized. Let’s face it. Faith seems a little iffy at times doesn’t it? Yet faith is the basis of relationship with God and you could say life itself.
Life without faith – well it’s not something pleasant to consider is it?
If you want to feel faith in the toughest of times then you’ve got to have it in the best of times. Use and live your faith all the time. Let go of attachments. Accept God’s unlimited possibilities – believe right now – and hold that belief!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Very true Robert,
But how do you do it, or since it’s a matter of letting go: How don’t you do it anymore. So that a person is truly able to let go?
You know what I’m getting at, right? Without me explaining what i mean.
Eelke,
Good to hear from you again!
We may be talking or typing about two different things – although there is a relationsihp.
You ask: How don’t you do it anymore. So that a person is truly able to let go?
Letting go isn’t a matter of physically doing anything. It’s an internal belief shift. So what you’re actually doing is recognizing that the attitude you hold about a person, thing or situation is the problem – not the person, thing or situation.
Once you recognize this truth then you can begin to free yourself from the attachments that go along with that idea. You see, you can change the way you think and feel.
If you have a situation in your life that you need to experience some freedom in, take a look at the thoughts and feelings you have around that person or situation. Believe it or not but there is another way to look at it. This may not be immediately obvious – especially if you’ve been stuck there a long time – but there is a way to think and feel that will bring you freedom.
Letting go is letting go of the old ways of thinking and feeling that have been so burdensome for so long. Letting God is having faith that what God has done (even in the situation that you’ve looked at for so long as being bad, wrong or terrible) is actually just as it should be.
Does this help?
This is a huge topic and volumes could be and have been written – so if we can work it out in a few little comments we’re really doing something!!!
Blessings,
Robert
Hi Robert, one more reaction to yours.
I’ll be a bit black and white or here: As it is how you describe it, then it s all up to you and me and not to God.
Sort of a psychological thing. It all depedns on how you look at situations persons or things. That that is what changes it. Like God can’t or wont do anythign unless you look different at it.
Let’s say i am able to do that. Then at the moment I’m able to look at it different, it wont be a problem or whatever, and God doesn’ t need to do anythign anymore. Because it s not a problem/pain/search/whatever anymore.
So that would mean it s just all mental handeling.
So then where does that leave God or His promises or what is His part.
So does God even do something himself. Or is it after all is said and done like lot of people believe: God loves you but you have to help yourself.
(i mean if all that matters is on how we look at things.)
Summarized, I think maybe in other words a lot of people have this basic question: If it depends on how look at it, then what is Gods actually doing?
Eelke,
It’s all up to me and you and God.
Paul speaks in the Bible about being transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Rom 12:2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
(KJV)
The new thoughts and new way of looking at your situation come from God – is God speaking to you. But you have to turn from your way of looking at life (repent) and submit yourself to God to allow the reality of God’s truth into your heart and mind.
When that change takes place within you, that’s God’s work. That is the key. Then whatever you physically do after that will be from that new paradigm – you will live, walk, work in power and enjoy the freedom, peace and joy that comes as a result.
The mistake is that often people think that by doing stuff everything works out fine. We have to look at the cause of the action. When God is the cause behind what you do you live powerfully.
I didn’t intend to make it sound like mental gymnastics.
Remember that this site is about stilling yourself in God’s presence to communicate with God. It isn’t enough to just make up a better story in this moment about your situation. As you probably know that may not last until the next moment – which isn’t very long.
When the mind is renewed it’s a shift or a change. It’s seeing differently and you wonder why you never saw it that way before because it seems so obvious now.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Robert