Just Let Go: Learning to Trust Again




I was thinking the other day, I worry like it's my job.  Sad, but true.

To clarify, I have indeed come a very long way.  I am facing a few things now that the 30-year-old Karen would've been rendered paralyzed.  I seem to be getting better about putting things out of my mind and worrying about it when "I absolutely have to".  But the fact of the matter is, I don't absolutely have to worry about anything in God's economy.

What I do still need much work on is letting go.  When a worry comes up, to acknowledge it, pray about it, and then trust God with it and just let go...

I've been in Leviticus for much of the summer now and one thing I am learning is that the Lord has already provided EVERYTHING we need for life and living.  I shared about this in my blog post, Spiritual Instincts:  We are designed for SUCCESS! which you can read here.

As I was pondering writing this blog post, the Lord brought Jeremiah 29:11 to my mind, For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. where I was struck by the word "hope".  This is such an often quoted verse, but I think most people are focusing on "prosper", but for today's consideration, I want to focus on hope.

As Believers, our hope is in Christ Jesus, His salvation and forgiveness of sins, and our eternal security.  But our hope doesn't just end with the heavy hitters!  Every second of every day, we can live in God's hope.  For He is the Lord of the next minute, the next hour, the next day, the next month and the next year.

So why do we hold on so tightly to worry?

My daughter shared some insight with me that worry is actually a form of control. I never really thought about it that way, and I must say, when she said that I sort of bristled.  But deep down, I know she is right.  When we worry, our thoughts are focused on how we want the outcome of the object of our worry to play out.  Not putting our hope in God who has promised that very hope to us.

I recently read that letting go of worry can be a sacrificial offering.

Merriam Webster's dictionary defines sacrifice as an act of offering to a deity something precious

Something precious??  My worry is precious??  Well, going back to the control aspect of worry, indeed our own desires are precious to us.

When we let go of our worries, it is indeed a sacrifice, because we are giving it to God and allowing His will to be done not our own.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, 
that He may exalt you in due time,  
casting all your care upon Him, 
for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7

Last week I was sitting in a waiting room with my daughter and the morning news was on.  They showed the story about a teenage girl who was with other people on a bridge which is apparently a site for summer "fun" where they jump off into the water for a thrill, I suppose, and to cool off.  In the video, you could see that the girl was undecided about whether she was going to "go for it" or not. I don't blame her.  The bridge was quite high in my estimation.  Shockingly, when the girl was looking to the side and not down at the water, one of her "friends" shoved her and she was then free-falling out of control into the water.  Thankfully and miraculously, she did not die and was not too seriously hurt.

As I was preparing for this post, that video came to mind.  Sometimes, life can indeed feel like an out of control free-fall, and if we are distracted with worry and not focused on the Lord, we end up hurting ourselves more...

Yet when we are on life's bridge, as long as we focus on the Lord and not on the worry, we can let go of the worry and freefall straight into the strong, capable arms of our God and Father, our Hope, who will catch us and not let go.  He will then bless us abundantly through the sacrificial offering of our worries and our own will.

Think about those exercises where people do the "trust fall", where you fall back into the arms of the person behind you hoping they will catch you.  Well our hope is sure in our God and Father.  He will catch us EVERY time.  The more we just let go of worries, the more we will trust the Lord with our worries.  It almost seems silly to type that we have to learn to trust God, but, in all honesty, many times our actions would say that we don't trust Him.

If we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.
2 Timothy 2:13

To all my worrying friends out there remember...

God is faithful [He is reliable, trustworthy and ever true to His promise—He can be depended on], and through Him you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthians 1:9 Amplified Version


Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now

Hillsong United


You can read more about overcoming anxiety in my post The Seventh Year:  How to survive anxious moments here.

You might find me on these link-ups:
Grace & Truth Link-upWoman to Woman Ministries, Inspire Me MondayA Wise Women Builds Her HomeSpiritual Sundays, Soul Survival,  Good Morning MondaysTell His StoryFaith & Fellowship Blog Hop  Tuesday Talk   Faith 'N Friends Sitting Among Friends   House to Home  ,Wonderful Wednesday , Literacy Musings Mondays,Imparting GraceDance with Jesus Booknificent Thursdays  Fresh Market Friday Moments of Hope Wonderful Wednesdays , Tea & Word Tuesday Heart Encouragement Thursday Hearts for Home Messy Marriage Link-up Friday at the Fire Station Link-up Tune In Thursday Faith on Fire Link-upSunday Scripture Blessings Link-up, Sunday ThoughtsWriter Wednesday, Faith Filled Friday God Sized Dreams Link-Up Sitting Among Friends Be Thee Inspired Graceful Tuesday Link-up Aprons & Pearls Link-up Trekkingthru Link-up Coffee for the Heart Link-up Encouraging Word Wednesday  Grace Moments Link-up  Encouraging Hearts and Home Worth Beyond Rubies

Comments

  1. Thank you so much for your blogpost. reading this on Monday morning was so good! Let's trust Him this week. Let's trust God's abounding Grace in our broken world. Because His is good and a strong warrior. God is much more capable of managing your life than you (and I) are. Thank you so much for your blog! It was encouraging for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Aritha, You are very welcome!

      I'm so glad to hear that!

      Indeed and Amen!

      Delete
  2. That's a great illustration for what we feel is going to happen to us--falling off a bridge to great injury below. But I love how you've reminded us to trust that God will not only catch us but cushion our fall. He's always there to protect us from the very things we worry so much about. Thanks for this reminder!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Beth, You are very welcome!

      Thanks for your thoughtful comment. :-)

      Delete
  3. Oh, dear friend! I could relate to this post SO much. I surely never looked at worry as being a form of control, but I can surely see what your daughter means. I feel so convicted. I am SO thankful for you and your precious faithfulness to God and to share the lessons He is teaching you. They are always, always so relevant and needful. I am praying much for you and sending much love and many hugs and blessings your way.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Cheryl! Your comments always cheer me!

      I love and appreciate you so much!

      Thanks so much! My husband and I have certainly felt your prayers and are so grateful for them. <3

      Delete
  4. I've never thought of worry being a form of control--but it's so true. Thank you for pointing that out--I'm learning from Jennifer Dukes Lee's new book that God's got it, and I don't need to stress about it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Anita,

      You are very welcome!

      Amen!

      Thanks so much for visiting! :-)

      Delete
  5. I like that you said we need to learn to trust God. So true. With each time we step out and trust Him, we see His faithfulness. Trust begets trust. Thank you for sharing! #teaandwordtuesday

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Indeed! Each step of faith leads to increased awareness of His never ending faithfulness.

      You are very welcome!

      Thanks for visiting. :-)

      Delete
  6. Your post blessed me so much this week and lifted up my faith. Thanks for sharing on the #LMMLinkup.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow, Karen. I so needed to hear this today. I have a personal relationship with worry as a serial planner. Letting go and letting God is something I am getting better at. However, the enemy knows our weak points doesn't he? I am thankful that God continues to grow me up in Him. Thanks for sharing these words of inspiration backed with Biblical truths. Have a wonderful weekend and may God bless you and yours.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Horace, I am so glad that this blog post came in a timely fashion. Praise God!

      I can relate to your personal relationship with worry as a serial planner.

      Indeed he does!

      You are very welcome!

      You too Horace! Your visit blessed me. :-)

      Delete
  8. Hi Karen! Thank you so much for reminded us , we can trust fall into the arms of our loving and faithful Father. Blessings to you!

    Proud to be your neighbor at #TuneInThursday linkup.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Connie, You are very welcome!

      Blessings to you too!

      Delete
  9. The freefall into God's arms of grace is a powerful image for me. His grace is deep. Thank you for the beautiful words of encouragement, needed by me today. I'm your neighbor at #FaithonFire.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have found that His Word replaces worry, if it my Pinterest board. blog, reading it, writing it or speaking it over myself in prayer. We can worry ourselves literally to death, it robs our sleep, our joy and peace, and I'm not a doctor but I know it really drags me down physically, mentally. It is spiritually draining. The proverbial rocking chairs that never stops rocking.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Rebecca, Thanks for joining in the conversation with great insights and encouragement to stop worrying.

      Blessings

      Delete
  11. Wow!This is so encouraging.You have opened my eyes,that worrying controls the mind.I surrender to Jesus all my burdens.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello! Thanks so much for visiting.

      Praising God that your eyes have been opened and your surrender of all your burdens to Jesus.

      Blessings,

      Delete
  12. I like to think I don't worry but I'm human so of course I do! Thank you for this challenge to focus on God and remember that HE is control, and not me.

    ReplyDelete
  13. So true! He is there to catch me EVERY time! He's proved that to me over and over and over again!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks for sharing this encouragement at Booknificent Thursday on Mommynificent.com!
    Tina

    ReplyDelete
  15. Loved your post. Thank you for sharing with Grace & Truth Christian Link-Up. I know for me choosing to trust God up front helps tremendously. So when bad things come my way, and they do, I already know I have chosen to trust God.

    Blessings, Maree

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Maree, Praise God!

      You are very welcome!

      You share great words of wisdom. Thank you.

      Blessings,

      Delete

Post a Comment

Thank you for taking the time to comment.

Popular Posts