Let Go and Let God
“Let go and let God”.
If only I could count the number of times I’ve heard this rather problematic phrase meant to inspire and comfort. To lift and motivate. To give some direction to ailing Christians searching for an answer to a problem or relief from a stressful situation. At the same time, this is ripe for dangerous misinterpretation. Too easily can we use this phrase to become spiritually inert, wherein we simply sit back and do nothing, losing all forward momentum toward that “narrow gate“.
It reminds me of another similar, or at least related phrase. One that my grandfather loved and is still oft repeated by my mother to this day: “this too shall pass“. Yet another comforting saying meant to calm and soothe a troubled and anxious mind. And it certainly isn’t untrue. Everything passes, doesn’t it? Every event, every experience, every second of every day is fleeting and temporary. Everything from the stress of a minor fender bender or broken water pipe to the sorrow of a lost loved one or even the overwhelming tragedy of a natural disaster or terror attack. All of these things pass into memory and fade with time, most to be forgotten or, at the very least, only intermittently and mildly remembered as the grief or anxiety of the experience also fades.
Are these phrases actually in the bible? The short answer is: NO. Neither of these popular phrases are actually IN the bible. The idea of them can be found in scripture though. I’m most immediately reminded of Psalm 46:10.
Psa 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God…
Take comfort that God knows His plans for us and that He knows what is best for us. Take comfort in that He is in control and that we have no need of anxiety or worry.
Through God, and more accurately, through Christ, every fear can be stilled, every anxiety quieted. His people can relax. He is God. His cause is just and righteous. He is supreme “among the nations“. We don’t need to worry about the past. God is there, forging our future path. We don’t need to worry about the future. God is already there, making straight and clearing our path. Nor do we need to worry about our present. God is HERE, delivering and ever protecting us.
Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
Katharina von Schlegel – “Be Still, My Soul” https://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Be_Still_My_Soul/
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the winds and waves still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.
But does this mean we are to simply give everything over to God and sit and do NOTHING? There appear to be a number of scriptural commandments that contradict that idea.
1Ti 6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith.
2Ti 2:3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God.
No, it seems pretty clear that in the Christian life we are waging a constant spiritual war and we are to remain diligent and steadfast in that battle. Sitting idle and doing nothing would be contrary to what scripture is teaching us. Yet, the more we study the scripture and the closer we draw to God, the stronger our faith becomes as we learn more and more about Him. If you are/were anything like me, you might experience a period of confusion and doubt as you fall under His judgement. You’ll experience a loss of control as you discover that control was never really yours to begin with. Perhaps you finally come to understanding. A revelation that had eluded you for so long. God’s judgement upon us can take many forms, can happen as often as He requires, and is always for our benefit. It heals, it strengthens, and it furthers our understanding and our faith in God as a healer and deliverer.
For me, the loss of control was my struggle, and continues to be. Many of us can’t handle the feeling of losing control of the direction our lives are taking. In my case, I felt lost and confused. I could FEEL a change in my life, a big one. I couldn’t be certain where I was to go or what I was to do, but what I HAD been doing suddenly felt… off. But my faith and understanding is in its infancy. I didn’t know HOW to “let go and let God“.
We must understand that the things that we do, are under or through the power of God, not of our own power or volition. Sometimes, letting go can be just as difficult, if not more, than any other work we do for God. In John 15, Jesus tells gives us the answer.
“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”
John 15.4 – 6 NIV
From this, we learn that Christ is the sustaining vine, and we are the branches. The vine always provides for its branches as long as they remain a part of the vine and over time, they will bear fruit. The vine provides everything the branches need to bear that fruit: water, nutrients, the very building blocks of life itself. Without the vine, the branches would wither and die. They aren’t capable of bearing fruit on their own.
So, it is for us as Christians. We are the conduit for Christ’s (not OUR) fruit. So, what does this mean in the context of “letting go“? Does this mean that if we “let go“, our adversity and struggles will cease? Does this really mean we just give EVERYTHING to God and then sit idly by and do NOTHING?
Luke 13:24 tells us to “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.” The NKJV translates this as “strive” to enter the narrow gate. By “striving“, we are to be diligent and active in our spiritual pursuits. We should be earnest in shedding our sinful tendencies and work to further God’s Kingdom through whatever form that work takes.
It’s easy for us to fall into the trap and assumption that if we are struggling, then we are failing to “let go and let God“. To assume this is to assume the incorrect position of Job’s friends, whom all claimed that Job suffered his calamities and tragedies because he had sinned and was being punished for them. God never promised us that we would not struggle. He promised that he would DELIVER us from that struggle.
We struggle and face adversity for many reasons. Perhaps we are weak in faith and it would be strengthened through a stressful trial. God WANTS us to come to Him. To lean on Him in times of trouble to remind us that He is our strength and deliverance. If we don’t know God very well, it is harder to trust in Him and believe that He is working all things together for good. The more we pray, meditate, and study the scripture, the closer we come to the “peace of God, which surpasses all understanding“… – Php 4:7. Struggles and trials are design to show us and others our faith in Christ and work to shape us into the people that God wishes for us to be. 1 Peter 1:7 tells us that our struggles “come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.“. Through Christ, we can face our trials with faith, grace, and good humor, knowing that each of our struggles has a greater purpose.
With a faith built on a “stone foundation”, there is no need for worry. A faith this strong comes from years of study, prayer, worship, and dedication to God and Christ. As you can see, study, prayer, and worship sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it? Therefore, we are not to be lazy. We are only to give our struggles to God, so that He may be glorified, and His kingdom made complete through us. With a strong faith, we can rest easy, and know that “this too, shall pass“.
© 2023 – Jay McAnally
The World Needs God 