What i've learned: Let it go

Do you feel cold and lost in desperation?

You built up hope, but failures all you've known?

Remember all the sadness and frustration,

and LET IT GO

LET IT GO

Today i'm talking about the dark stuff. The bad stuff. The,"this has changed my life forever, and I will NEVER let go of it" or," This person has hurt me so bad, I will NEVER FORGIVE THEM." or, "I just want to impress you, I WON'T STOP TIL I DO."

The stuff that drives you're every action, like a burning in you're mind that you can't put out.

This stuff is dangerous.

I'm going to call it bitterness, but there are tons of other words we can use- addiction, obsession. No matter what, it's not healthy. And, to be honest, these kind of obsessive possessive thoughts are sinful. Yeah- crazy right? But the truth is by obsessing about how angry you are at someone, or how you need someone's approval, or how you can't possibly forgive someone- well, you're basically saying that you don't trust that God will take care of you, and take care of the situation.

Now you say, "But Jonathan, it's not that easy, some things are too hard to get over, some things are too painful to forget, some things are are too terrible to forgive."

You're right it IS hard- I mean, life itself can be pretty tough. But it is so important that we don't let our hurts and problems govern our lives. God has so much in store for us, but if we are living with a spirit of vengeance or hatred or hurt, He isn't capable of doing what He wants in us. By insisting on getting our own vengeance, or holding power over those who have hurt us, we are tying God's hands.

Not a good idea.

In his book, The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis says this about sin that we can't stop.

"It begins with a grumbling mood, and yourself still distinct from it: perhaps criticising it. And yourself, in a dark hour, may will that mood, embrace it. Ye can repent and come out of it again. But there may come a day when you can do that no longer. Then there will be no you left to criticise the mood, nor even enjoy it, but just the grumble itself going on forever like a machine."

That scares me. That mood, obsession- it can eat at you until there is nothing left, until God couldn't forgive you if He wanted to, because there is nothing left of you to forgive.

Please guys, we all go through stuff that is hard to let go, that hurts and burns and distorts you're whole world- but we need to learn how to take a deep breath and let go. God intends for us to be free- He does not want us to wrap ourselves up.

I may be a hypocrite in this, I have things that I need to let go of myself, but i'm working on it. I am learning to forgive and love- I am positive this is of the utmost importance.

So-

Remember all the sadness and frustration,

and let it go

let it go