For those of you who do not know me well, I probably should share an important detail: I spent many years in the military. We enjoyed the travel and living not only around our country, but literally around the world. South Carolina, California, Virginia, Oklahoma, Germany and several other stops, all of which made an impact on my life and the life of my family.
As much as we loved each place, we always knew that there would be a day where we would pack our belongings and say goodbye. We enjoyed the cafés and pastries of France, the tulip fields of the Netherlands, the mountains of Austria and so many other beautiful and wonderful things, but we knew that someday we would leave to never return. There was a day where we had to let go and move on.
There are many in the church today, and many who were a part of the church at one time, who have failed to understand this most basic concept. Whether it’s ignorance, pride, or willingly wishing to be a tool of the devil, they just cannot let go of things from the past. They hold on with everything that they have, even to the level of character assassination of others and many times misrepresenting the truth, in an attempt to control things that are no longer relevant to anyone but themselves. Lines are drawn in the sand on issues that don’t matter, sleep is lost over personal preferences, and time is wasted and energy spent trying to bring validity to issues that are of importance to only themselves and a select few others. They hold on to things that should have been let go of. Things that contradict the Biblical doctrine of holiness. Things that should have been long ago released and given to God so that their heart and lives would be pure… their pride, their carnal mindedness, jealousy, lust and envy, and the placing of the needs of self before the will of God.
If I could share some thoughts from on outsiders’ perspective, I would plead with many to just let go of things. You are not hurting the church or others that you don’t agree with, as much as you are hurting yourself. It saddens me to hear individuals mentioned by name, who once had a loud and clear message of salvation and of the sanctified life, mocked and ridiculed as pharisees. Not because of things that would be seen as blatantly illegal, or wrong, but because of their inability to let go of things. They are called hypocrites, phonies, and often worse. The old adage states, ‘You can fool some of the people all of the time, and you can fool all of the people some of the time, but you will never fool all of the people all of the time.’ I would add that you will never fool God any of the time.
So why do you hold on to so many nonessentials, why not just let go? Why take a bitter, judgmental spirit and carnal heart that you believe to be hidden with the cloak of religiosity, to the grave? Let go of things that are ruining your influence and testimony. Let go of the foolish personal ideologies that do not matter.
Ephesians 4:31-32 says, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Friends drink deeply from the well of grace. That grace which has reached an untold number of others throughout the ages of time is still available for us today.
Drink deeply, let go, and allow God to use you in ways that you have never before experienced.
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