Why Letting Go Is So Important
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Photo by Taneli Lahtinen on Unsplash
Every month for the past 40 months, I’ve written “devotions due” on the 15th of my calendar—a reminder to submit my two monthly devotions to The Joyful Life Devotion Team.
This due date has become a mainstay of my routine, and I have anticipated, prepared for, and planned around it every month for the last three and half years.
But at the beginning of this year, I felt God prompting me to step down from this particular team (I’m still a part of The Joyful Life editorial and blog teams—so, The Joyful Life is still a big part of my writing life!).
I wrestled with this decision because I enjoyed being a part of this group of writers; I love the friendships I’ve formed there and the publishing opportunities I’ve been given. I also worried that I was mishearing God. Being on this team was a good thing, and letting go of it didn’t really make sense. What if I’m wrong and I release something I’m meant to maintain? I wondered.
But after much prayer and quiet listening, I felt pretty sure that it was what God was asking. So even though it made me sad, I gave my notice and submitted my last two devotions in March.
GOD'S PRUNING PROCESS
My calendar looks a little different now—that routine reminder is notably absent from my planner this month. But now that I’m on the other side of my decision, I feel a lot of peace. I’m confident that it was the right move, and I’m excited about new the opportunities God has been opening for me.
In John 15, Jesus said, “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more” (15:1-2 NLT).
If we want to be as fruitful as possible, it’s necessary to submit to God’s pruning process. This process isn’t always comfortable, and sometimes, it means letting go of good things, even things we enjoy. It also doesn’t always make sense. But we’re meant to walk by faith, not by sight (Proverbs 3:5), and doing so means being willing to let go of what seems good to us and trust that God sees the bigger picture.
Thankfully, whenever God prunes us, He always has something better in store, and He often asks us to lay one thing down so can give more energy and focus to something else—something that will bear even more fruit.
LETTING GO AND MOVING FORWARD
Is there anything you feel God prompting you to let go of? Perhaps you’ve been wavering because it just doesn’t make sense. If that’s the case, trust that God knows exactly what you and your loved ones need in this season. And if you worry you’re mishearing, just keep bringing the issue before God. You don’t have to decide right away. Give yourself time and trust that as you lean in and listen, the Holy Spirit will guide you. You are God’s child, and you can hear His voice.
Together, let’s surrender ourselves to God, let go of our need to understand, and courageously follow His leading!
As always, you are in my thoughts and prayers, and I’d love to hear from you! You can contact me here or through the comment section below!
In purpose and faith,
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...Is it time to say goodbye to something in your life? Leaving can be hard because it can feel like losing—and sometimes it does come with a loss.
But so often what we let go of is vastly outweighed by what we gain when we open our hands in trust...