What if God says "Let it Go"? - Hebrews 12:1

THEME: WHAT IF GOD IS TRYING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING?” DAY 3: WHAT IF GOD SAYS “LET IT GO”? “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us.” Hebrews 12:1 Sometimes the hardest thing God asks us to do is not to take something up, but to let something go. We often pray, “Lord, give me more.” Give me more opportunities. More blessings. More success. More happiness. But there are moments when God wants to give us something new, yet we are still holding tightly to something old. It could be a sinful habit, bitterness, an unhealthy relationship, pride, guilt, fear, or even a past failure. We know it is hurting us, but we have become comfortable carrying it. Hebrews 12:1 says, “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” Notice that the writer mentions both sin and weight. Not everything that weighs us down is necessarily sinful, but it may still be preventing us from becoming what God wants us to be. Imagine trying to run a race while carrying a heavy bag. You may be able to move, but you cannot run effectively. You may even wonder why your progress is so slow. The problem may not be the road ahead. The problem may be what you are carrying. Perhaps that is where you are today. You keep asking God to move you forward, but God may be saying, “Let it go.” Let go of the bitterness. Let go of the guilt. Let go of the pride. Let go of the sinful habit. Let go of the relationship that keeps pulling you away from God. Let go of the past that God has already given you the grace to move beyond. Sometimes we want God to change our lives without asking Him to change what we are holding onto. Paul said in Philippians 3:13–14, “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark.” You cannot reach forward effectively while constantly holding onto what is behind you. Perhaps you have failed before. Perhaps someone hurt you. Perhaps you made decisions you regret. But your past does not have to become your permanent address. If you have repented, learn from it and move forward. If someone has hurt you, forgive and move forward. If there is sin in your life, repent and let it go. Do not allow yesterday to steal what God wants to do with you today. But there is one thing we must never let go of: Christ. Hebrews 12:2 tells us to look “unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” When we let go of the things that weigh us down, we must hold more firmly to Christ. And perhaps God is calling someone today to let go of sin and obey the gospel. Jesus calls us to repentance. Peter preached, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19). Christ commanded belief and baptism for salvation (Mark 16:16), and those who accepted the gospel on Pentecost were commanded to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). Maybe the reason you are struggling to move forward is because you are still holding onto something God is asking you to release. So ask yourself this morning: What am I carrying that God is asking me to let go of? Whatever it is, surrender it to Him. You cannot change yesterday, but you can decide what you will carry into tomorrow. Let it go. Let go of what is pulling you backwards, and hold onto the One who is leading you forward.