“Let Go And Let God“
It sounds like a straightforward phrase: let go and let God. Easy to say, but not so easy to do. People who say it don’t necessarily have your life with its stress, worries, fears, and problems.
Still, that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. It doesn’t even mean that it has to be hard. It’s possible, if, and that’s a fairly big if. Still, there are a few steps to make this happen.
I used to constantly have fears and worry about my son, living so far away. But no amount of fear or worry could change the situation. It was a mother’s love of her youngest child. One who decided to move thousands of miles away. I raised him to be successful and independent and I had to let him live his own life. So, I had to give him to God and let go of my fears and worry or I would drive myself crazy.
The first thing I did was identify what I could control and what I couldn’t. Much of my inability to “let go and let God” stemmed from my failure to recognize that too often the things that caused my fears and worry were things I couldn’t control.
Then I addressed the things I could control. The key to getting rid of or at least reducing it is action. Inactivity breeds worry and depression. Instead of brooding over my situation, I took action on things I could control. We set up a weekly call time, where I could hear his voice and know that things were fine. I sent him packages of things I knew he missed from home. Homemade fudge, cookies.
I learned to “surrender what I couldn’t control,” When I finally was able to surrender the things I feared. Like whether he would make the right choices, or wouldn’t go hungry into God’s hands and asked Him to take care of those things. (which I’m sure He was taking care of all along). My fear was keeping things in my own hands, and faith was turning them over to God’s hands and leaving them there,
When I began to worry or my fears reared their heads, I would read God’s promises and remember the good things He’s done in the past.
I chose a “letting go” motto. A memorable scripture that I could repeat in my head easily. For example, my strength will be in quietness and in confidence (Isaiah 30:15) or God will never leave or forsake me (Deuteronomy 31:6).
I chose to act on faith, not fear. There’s a quote by E Stanley Jones that I like, “Never act on fear, for fears are usually false. Don’t build your life according to any pattern shown to you in the valley of fear.”
I “focused my mind and heart on trusting God,” Matthew 6:34 says,
“Don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.”
God didn’t say we wouldn’t have trouble, but we should focus our minds and hearts on this day and its challenges. The same God who is with us and empowers us to live for today will be there tomorrow
“Let go and let God” isn’t expecting too much if we just do it one day at a time.
From Pity to Praise 