Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.-Hebrews 10:22-23, ESV
"I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit—the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you. “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful. You have heard Me tell you, ‘I am going away and I am coming to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens so that when it does happen you may believe.- John 14:25-29, HCSB
I remember going on my first missions trip and having to climb a rock wall. I looked up at that wall, scared of heights, knowing I had to overcome my fear in order to grow. I climbed up, never looking down except if my foot slipped. A strong but small rope was holding me up. Although I could not see her from where I was, a camp employee was holding the rope in case I fell. I climbed all the way to the top. Feeling accomplished, I scanned the area that the 30-foot altitude allowed me to see. I could hear my team cheering me on, congratulating me on completing this difficult task. The camp employee called up to me: "Good job, Elisabeth! Now I need you to lean back and let go of the wall, and I'll bring you down." Let go? I remember feeling a rush of anxiety at that moment. After facing my fear of climbing a great height, I realized that my greatest fear wasn't being in high places; my greatest fear was falling. Now, in order to get down, I had to trust a thin rope and a woman I had just met a few minutes prior. I clung tight to that rope, not wanting to budge. My team started encouraging me again. I could here them telling me that it was almost over, that I could handle this. I closed my eyes, sat back, and put my life in the hands of another person. I remember feeling like a weight was lifted off of me. I didn't have control, but it felt great. Suddenly, my safety was not in my own hands. I did not need to defend myself or protect myself. Someone who knew about climbing better than I did was taking care of me. Because of that, I felt safe, and I relaxed.
In my walk with God, I have noticed that God calls me to let go of my comfortable life in exchange for a life led by Him. There have been numerous things in my life that I have been struggling to give up to Him. Throughout this summer, God has been telling me to let go of several things, and I did. After I did, God showed me that, with those things in my life, I would have never grown into the person that He is calling me to be. Knowing that God was in control gave me a sense of peace and security.
While Jesus was on Earth, He promised His disciples that He was leaving them. Knowing that Jesus was their Lord and teacher, the disciples probably were upset, confused, and anxious about Jesus' departure. However, Jesus comforted them by telling them about the Holy Spirit. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says that, if He does not leave them, the Holy Spirit cannot come on Earth. As we read in Acts, the apostles could not do the mighty miracles they did without the work of the Holy Spirit. If the disciples had held on to Jesus and not let Him die the death that He did, they would not be a part of the great plan that God had for the world. They would not grow as mature Christians without the help of the Holy Spirit working inside of them.
There are so many relationships that I had to let go of because God had something else planned for me. Before I went home from my school, I had to say goodbye to my friends at school. It was so hard to part from them, despite the fact that our separation was temporary. My friends lived miles away, in other states that I could not visit simply by leaving my dorm room and walking a few steps. That semester, we had seen each other every single day for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and time spent doing homework. As soon as I got home, God began to work in my life and in my friends' lives. We were healed of anxiety, fear, and the like. Our school helps us a lot with those struggles, but God knew that we needed a break from the school in order to grow. God knew the best way to heal all of us, and if we had held on to each other, we would have never experienced the growth that we did over the summer.
Over the summer, I felt God calling me to break up with my boyfriend. I loved him so much, I did not want to surrender him. At that time, I was having serious anxiety. My stomach would go into knots everyday, and I had trouble eating. He was having trouble finding a job. After we prayed and then broke up, my anxiety instantly got better, and he got a call that he could start working at a job. God knew that it was best for me to be single for the summer, and if I had held on to my boyfriend, we both would not have experienced the growth that we did over the summer.
Coming back to school, I had to say goodbye to my family and my friends. The friends that I adopted as family this summer were about to become distant friends that all had busy lives. I knew that God wanted me back at school, but I did not want them to become a faint memory to me. The last time I saw them, I gave them all big hugs. As I was hugging them, I realized that this was symbolic of letting go. Once I let go of them, I had to own up to the responsibilities that God has given me at college. Instead of seeing them everyday, I would have to hope to catch them on Facebook or send them a text message here and there. It was definitely difficult for me to go home that night.
Now that I am back at school, I am so glad that I let go. I have amazing friends here that love me and that allow me to be myself in front of them. I let all my friends go back home in the beginning of the summer, but seeing them again, I knew that letting go was worth it. We all have amazing testimonies of how God healed us this summer. If we had stayed at school, we would have grown stagnant and bored.
What is God calling you to let go of today? Whether it is a relationship, a desire, a job, or an opportunity, God knows what is best for you. Things in this world fade away, but God is consistent and constant. In Hebrews, Paul writes that we are to cling to the confession of our hope. We are to cling to God's truth and to His presence instead of seeking after the things of this world. If you notice things that are starting to grow stagnant in your life, it is time to move on. Trust that God will continue to allow you to grow. He is holding your rope; all you need to do is let go and fall into His protection for you.
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