Letting go and letting God…

Then you will know the truth and the truth shall set you free.

John 8:32

Letting go of the “small stuff”

I have noticed that the older I become, the more important I feel it is to let go of the small things in life. If I could turn back time, I would tell my younger self not to sweat the small stuff. I would tell myself not allow certain situations to overwhelm me or hinder my growth and what God is doing in my life.

I’m the kind of person who likes to keep my house fairly tidy and organised even with children in the house! In the past, there would be times where I would take one look at the state of my house – the pile of laundry waiting to be ironed, the untidy kitchen or the the toys lying all round the house and I would very quickly and easily become overwhelmed and feel like the whole world was on my shoulders. I have come such a long way from the person I was in those days. Emotionally, I’m a lot tougher and stronger than I used to be – however, even this I do sometimes forget! I could easily blame this on the many years of telling myself “I can’t”. “I can’t face the day today”, or “I can’t manage the kids for another day on my own!”. Today, as I walked into the kitchen this very afternoon and noticed the trail of sticky strawberry smoothie my precious daughter had just blended up, instead of going into panic mode, I counted my blessing that I have been blessed with a beautiful family and the mess they leave behind is simply evidence of how much God had blessed and lavished his love upon me!

Jesus Paid the Price

I feel as though I am continuously on a journey of discovering who God really is. So far what I have discovered is that he is not a judgmental God who points a finger each and every time time I mess up. I know that whenever I fail, I am completely covered by His grace. I know that he is pleased with me and he loves my flaws and imperfections. He certainly doesn’t expect me to be perfect because he has created me quite the opposite. He knows my weaknesses and he sets me free from guilt and condemnation – something that I have struggled with for a very long time.

John 15:2. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful.

John 15 lets me know that God is constantly working in me. That which may not be pleasing to him, he will keep working within me to make me better. John 15 says I am loved and accepted when I think the wrong thoughts and when I make bad decisions. When Jesus paid the price it not only meant that all my sins were forgiven, it meant that he had already paid the price for my inadequacy. I have a tendency to hide my feelings from God whenever I feel that I fall short except what I don’t always realise is that God already knew I would fall short from the day I was conceived so my shortfalls really don’t surprise him.

Walking in Freedom

John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.“

John 8 reminds me of the freedom that have today. The kind of freedom that comes with knowing God’s truth. The truth is that I am loved and I am accepted even when I fail. I am still loved and accepted when I think the wrong thoughts and when I make the wrong decisions. A part of walking in freedom is about being vulnerable with God and I often believe that I have to have it all together especially in my weaknesses. I can thank God that he sent his son Jesus to pay the price for my shame and my guilt. Instead of feeling shame when I mess up, I can come to the throne of God and ask Him to help me be better and I choose to walk in confidence with my head held high.

What I have learned from Letting go and letting God

As I learn to let go of what is not so important in this life and started to embrace what God has in store for me, I have learned to start trusting God to take care of my daily needs. I have learned that not everything is and will be in my control and what I cannot control I am learning to allow God to control. I can only handle each day as it comes without the added worries of the following day. Letting go of the small stuff has given me a sense of peace and calm for myself and even for those around me.