Let Go and Love…
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When that phrase slipped from my lips in prayer, I listened and asked myself, let go of what? The answer came quickly….self! Then other phrases came! Controlling others! Ruling others! Restraining others!
How difficult it is to ‘let go’ of self. We grow up as a baby wanting comfort – dry clothes, a full tummy and lots of rest. When we hurt ourselves we want someone to care about us. We want our world to be our way and not anyone else’s. We want to protect ourselves from hurt, hunger and rejection. We want acceptance and love from others…no matter what.
Control of our world extends our hearts and minds and we think we are #1 to the exclusion of anyone else. We are the best in everything we do. The world has no bounds – it is our world and no one else’s. As a young girl, I combined washing dishes with becoming a famous opera singer. I opened the kitchen window over the sink 3 inches. That was my stage and my voice carried to the whole world in my mind. I trilled and ah-ed and sang up the scale and down in unintelligible syllables. When I finished the dishes, I closed the window ‘stage’ and left my ‘adoring’ mythical audience. Mother told me later, she knew when the dishes were finished.
When we ‘let go’ of controlling our lives – we begin to understand what LOVE is. True love consists of giving, humility, truth, trust with caring, serving, forgiving – and this can only happen when our Identity is not horizontal (the world) but vertical (with Christ). When our Identity is in Christ Jesus, we learn what Love truly is, for God is Love. (I John 4:8)
When we find our identity, we feel comfortable for a time, we have found our place, our personal niche. The horizontal identity is of the world. We will not find lasting identity in jobs, our children, our spouse, our material possessions that is lasting.
Sooner or later, we will see that until we have a Vertical Identity – a lasting relationship with our Creator – will we have an eternal, lasting identity that will not be taken away. This identity is grounded in Jesus as our Rock.
Imagine an identity with the Lord God who delights in us (Psalm 37:23), sings over us (Zephaniah 3:17), and rejoices over us (Isaiah 6:25b). Then we are right with God, and serve Him with our hearts wide open – letting go of self – and we find true joy in living. We delight in Him Psalm 1:2 – But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. We sing praise to our Lord Isaiah 42:11 – Sing a new song to the Lord! Sing his praises from the ends of the earth! Sing, all you who sail the seas, all you who live in distant coastlands, we rejoice in following Him.
When I read this verse in Psalm 139:16, I realized that God knows us so well that He has written our biography before we were. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
† – Matthew 28:20b – And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
† – Psalm 25:10 – All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
† – Psalm 33:22 – Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.
† – Psalm 36:7 – How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
† – Colossians 4:2 – Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
† – 2 Thessalonians 3:5 – May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.
† – Hebrews 6:18-19 – So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.
Last Sunday morning, the lyrics of this song flashed on the screen – and I know why our Identity has to be in Jesus! Our Lord God is Unstoppable. Only in God can we Let Go and LOVE!
Heaven thundered – And the world was born – Life begins and ends – In the dust You formed.
Faith commanded – And the mountains moved – Fear is losing ground – To our hope in You.
Unstoppable God – Let your glory go on and on – Impossible things – In your name they shall be done.
Freedom conquered – All our chains undone – Sin defeated – Jesus has overcome.
Mercy triumphed – Darkness was denied – When the stone was gone.
Nothing shall be impossible – Your kingdom reigns unstoppable – We’ll shout Your praise forevermore – Jesus our God unstoppable.
Elevation Worship. – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5LoCwgbg6U
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