Let it go! Whatever it is you are holding on to, just let it go. Whether it is a bad relationship, anger, hurt, unforgiveness, pride, self-pity, regret or envy, let it go. Do not spend another moment carrying that burden. Life is meant to be experienced within a wide range of emotions. But no one emotion or feeling is meant to stay permanently. Even happiness has its time when it must give way to sadness.

When we allow our negative emotions to linger beyond an appropriate timeframe, then we risk bearing emotional loads that were not meant to carry. This only diminishes your quality of life. More importantly, God did not intend for you to live that way.  That is why Jesus said,”Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you…For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matt 11:28-30).  Therefore, I implore you today, let it go!

But, you say, you don’t know what that person did to me. You don’t understand the hurt it caused. I am completely justified in holding on to my emotions. To you I say, yes, you are correct. I do not know what happened, and I can only imagine the hurt and pain caused by the incident. Whatever it was, I am truly sorry you experienced it.

Nevertheless, while you may be justified in holding on to your emotions, you have to ask yourself at what cost? Are you more willing to be right than to be whole and healed? You cannot let the actions of others keep you in a holding pattern of bitterness, anger and hurt.   These are emotional poisons, slowly corroding your heart. You will never get to a place of freedom and healing so long as you continue to hold on to them. So, let it go!

Let go of negativity. Not only will it benefit you personally, but relationally as well. Healthy relationships exist when both parties are willing to let go of past hurt, and operate in grace. Insisting on your right to be mad or hurt may provide some degree of satisfaction, but ultimately it will ruin the relationship. You cannot mend a fractured relationship if you continue to hold on to those things that continue to divide you.

You have to let it go. This is true even if the hurt came from a previous relationship. You have to let it go because you cannot be fully present in your relationships if you come to them holding on to the negativity of your previous relationship.

Maybe you are not holding on to negative emotions caused by the actions of others. Perhaps you are having a hard time forgiving yourself. Regret or self-doubt has held you back. To you I say, let it go. You are more than your mistakes. You are capable beyond what you think. But you will never experience this truth until you let go of destructive thoughts and emotions.

Letting go may take courage, and you might even need to seek outside help. Whatever it takes, I believe you can do it. You are not destined to be burdened by the negativity that may be plaguing you. But the first step comes in deciding to let go. So again I say to you…Let.It.Go!

 

–Until Next Time–

Brooke Girley