By Victor Salamba
Life is a journey that is broken down into phases. These phases are called seasons, every season presents an opportunity to grow. Growth requires willingness to change and the knowledge to know what to let go in the new season. We must be able to differentiate where we are, where we were, and where we are going to. In this way, we avoid stagnation and grow in our relationships, in our families and in our faith as we offload baggage from past seasons. Below I reflect on 9 things that we must let go in the 2018.
1. Let go of pain. Ephesians 4:31-32 ‘’you must put away all bitterness, anger, wrath, be kind to one another,compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.’’ Yesterday’s pain is toxic today, pain hinders the ability to see new possibilities. Pain is selfish and an enemy of growth. Holding on to pain is telling “God I do not want to heal, I want to stay here until you tell me why!”
2. Let go of regret. Romans 8:28 reminds us that all things work together for good. We will always make a bad decision at one point or other, but do not condemn and shackle yourself to the bad decisions of yesterday. All things happen for a reason when you let go of regret, you will see how God will turn it around for your good.
3. Let go of wrong relationships. 1 Corinthians 15:33 tells us that bad character corrupts good morals. Examine where you are and who you are there with. Birds of a feather have always flocked together. Secondly, cut-off the naysayers and negative influence in your life. Not everyone in your life now is part of your destiny. Remember, your quality of life is determined by the company you keep.
4. Let go of fear. Job3:25 …what I have greatly feared has come upon me. Fear is an enemy of faith and strictly speaking, fear itself is a form of faith. This is because what I fear is what I believe will happen, and belief is the primary ingredient of faith. Let go of fear, God has you covered.
5. Let go of spiritual ignorance. Mathew 22:29 You are in error because you don’t know the scriptures, nor the power of God. We must understand the role our spirituality plays in our success. We must know what a spiritual battle is and what it is not. We cannot live in spiritual oblivion, better choose to grow spiritually by reading your Bible and surrounding yourself with like-minded people.
6. Let go of vision 20-Never. Habakkuk 2:2 reminds us to write down the vision and make it clearer. Let go of the projects that remained in your head. If it is a vision from God, then write it down and clearly set out its parameters. We waste so much time with vision ‘20-Never’ projects, they are like building castles in the air.
7. Let go of lies. Galatians 6:7: Do not be deceived: God is not mocked. Whatever you sow you shall reap. Lies we tell ourselves and the lies we tell others interfere we our ability to change. A lie encourages the status quo. You cannot change what you lie about. Let go of false stories and false promises, it is time to live true. Truth communicates desire to change.
8. Let go of those that walk away. 1 John 2:19: They went from us to prove that they were not part of us. People will walk away from your life. Do not stay crying about people who left you or walked away. If they were a part of your destiny they would have stayed.
9. Let go and let God. Don’t be God in your life, relinquish the throne and let God take control.
