Let It Go

Sometimes the Lord will even direct us to let go of something “good” in order to give us something “better.”

Joyce Meyer
5 min read

I often say that when we come into a relationship with God, we get a pretty good deal. We give Him all of our sin, guilt, problems and weaknesses and, in return, He gives us His forgiveness, peace, joy, strength and new life!

It’s a process that continues throughout our lives. The Lord wants to help us to continually grow and mature—He wants to fill our lives with new and better things. But in the process, it also requires us to leave some things behind.

Time to Say Goodbye

Look with me at Luke 14:33. Jesus says, So then, any of you who does not forsake (renounce, surrender claim to, give up, say good-bye to) all that he has cannot be My disciple.

The truth is, in order to have the great life God wants to give us, we will regularly have to say “goodbye” to some things in our lives. The Lord deals with each one of us individually, showing us through His Holy Spirit which things are right for us, constantly leading us into His will.

For instance, maybe you know in your heart that God’s asking you to reevaluate one of your friendships because that person is causing you to compromise, and it’s harming you spiritually. Or maybe you’re at the point of switching jobs because your current one is forcing you to lie or do things against your conscience.

Our first inclination is to say, “No!” and hold onto to things in our lives. However, God only asks us to part with things that are hurting us. Please remember this: When the Lord asks you to give something up, it means He has something better to give you in its place!

I can vividly remember years ago, when I would go to lunch after church with friends and gossip about the pastor, the church, and anything else that came to mind. For us, this was our weekly entertainment. However, between then and now, I’ve had to give up a lot of things!

What types of things? As I grew in my relationship with the Lord, He continued to deal with me about gossiping, complaining, and being critical. He also addressed my thoughts, attitudes, words, and the way I treated my husband. Need I go on?

But I can say this with certainty: If I wouldn’t have cooperated with God to let go of these things, I would never be where I am today—enjoying a life of emotional and spiritual freedom and helping so many others do the same.

Something Better Is Coming

Sometimes the Lord will even direct us to let go of something “good” in order to give us something “better.” For instance, back in the mid-1980s, I was an associate pastor at a church in St. Louis, Missouri for five years. I taught a weekly women’s meeting, and my family really liked it there.

However, the Lord spoke to my heart and said, “Joyce, I want you to leave here and take your ministry North, South, East and West.” I didn’t want to hear that! I was comfortable where I was—I had my weekly meetings, I had friends, and I even had my own parking spot! But the more I prayed about it, the clearer it became.

Yes, I could have chosen to remain an associate pastor at that church, and God wouldn’t have been mad at me for doing so. But I wouldn’t have been obeying Him. In fact, it was hard for me to see back then, but he was really giving me what I prayed for—the ability to help more people.

The Unknown Can Be Scary

I’ll admit, I was a bit fearful—I was stepping out into the unknown. I was leaving “a sure thing” for something that had a lot of questions still attached to it. I thought, What if I fail? What if I never get another chance to teach like I have at this church? But the Lord was asking to push past my fears and doubts and trust Him. He wanted me to trust that He had something even better to give me.

Maybe you’re a single woman and hoping to get married, but the guy you’re dating now isn’t treating you right. You may think to yourself, I don’t want to let him go—how do I know if I’ll ever get anyone better?

If you know it’s not the right guy, then it’s time to step out and make a decision. As you do, God will honor the choice you make and, ultimately, work things out so your life is better than it would have been.

I’ve learned that if we’re constantly focused on everything we think we’ll lose, we will never find the courage to obey God. For instance, if the Lord directs you to find a new job, don’t think, Oh man, I’m really going to miss that job. I’ll probably never find another one that pays as well. Focus on the positive instead. Remind yourself that God is faithful, and He will reward your obedience and integrity.

So, is there something in your life that God is asking you to let go? Maybe an attitude, a grudge you’ve held for a long time, a bad habit, or possibly even a relationship? You may not feel like doing it, and it may seem a bit scary. But you can be sure that whatever the Lord directs you to do, it’s always for your good...and He has something even better planned for your future.