Let Go and Let God

God is not human, that he should lie; nor a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak, and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? (Numbers 23) NIV.

There is an old saying: Let go and let God.

That is, of course, far easier said than done. Most of us like to have some semblance of control over our environment. There is comfort knowing that when I turn up the Air Conditioning unit that I will have cold air; or when I turn the key in the car the engine will turn over; or when I swipe my debit card at the store the card reader will grant me an electronic approval.

I like having control. I like being in control. I like dependability and predictability. I like it when everything works the way it is supposed to.

The other day I had to make a run to the bank and unexpected road construction made my travel more difficult. I suppose I could have gotten annoyed with the nuisance, but that’s all it was. It is summertime, and roads need repair, and while inconveniences like that may cost a minute or two in one’s commute, it doesn’t require a nuclear response, does it?

I suspect people are afraid of letting go because they are afraid of losing control, but letting go doesn’t mean abandoning common sense; it doesn’t mean abdicating responsibility for doing one’s part; it doesn’t mean blindly trusting in luck, or naively hoping things will work out.

On the contrary, Letting Go means trusting one’s common sense, taking responsibility for one’s actions, and having reason to hope – not because of chance or luck, but because one has done one’s part, and we know the rest is up to God.

One barrier to letting go can be an unwillingness to trust; being unwilling to trust God, self, or neighbor. That is normal.

We don’t trust others because we often find others to be untrustworthy. People let us down. Parents divorce, kids get into trouble, politicians (gasp!) lie, and businesses cheat their employees.

Products let us down. My teeth aren’t nearly as white as the paste-makers promise; and my wrinkle-free clothes, sadly, have wrinkles.

God also lets us down. Who hasn’t been disappointed in the state of the world? Loved ones get sick and die; villains are set free; the innocent are crushed underfoot ever so quickly and ever so readily.

Let Go and Let God – Indeed!

I can be quite cynical, but I’m not sure that cynicism best serves our needs. I find it is simply another excuse I toss into the mix when I want to avoid the hard work of changing my attitude about something. I throw blame on God, neighbor, or circumstances so I can wallow in self-pity.

When that happens, I’m not letting go and letting God, I am abandoning an opportunity for personal growth and spiritual transformation.

To “Let Go and Let God” means to recognize that we are stuck; it means to consciously seek release and relief by letting go of the willful desire to have things the way we want them to be, and accepting them to be the way they are.

Once we get past that particular hurdle, we are better able to discern the path or the means to get to where we’re headed. Ironically, the key to finding peace and happiness is to first stop fighting life as it happens.

Dishes in the sink will not wash themselves, but Letting Go means setting aside one’s instinct for laziness and procrastination, letting go of one’s desire for constant “fun” and simply deciding to do the dishes because they need to be done.

Taking care of things properly, and doing them while the tasks are still relatively small provides peace of mind that is far more rewarding than any fun that was missed in the process.

That’s what we mean by letting go and letting God. It is a matter of finding priority and balance in one’s life, and of choosing to participate with God in taking care of creation, and letting God take care of us.

When it comes spiritual growth and vitality, surrender is the first step to victory.

Let go and let God. It is good advice for us in this, our world.