Learning to Let Go

In my journey to forgiveness, I have found that sometimes things aren’t what they seem to be. It’s that way in all of life’s little quirks I guess, but many times we say we have forgiven, yet we’re still holding onto one little thing or another. We haven’t learned to let go.

Often I hear things like, “I’m not very good at letting go of things,” or “I haven’t mastered the art of releasing the past.” I wonder then, how does that person have forgiveness in their heart? They don’t. You can talk all day, saying you’ve forgiven so-n-so for one thing or another, but the fact remains that if you continue to talk about it, bringing it up, then you haven’t really let go of it.

If you begin to release past hurts and pains, then you’ll experience the joy and freedom God intends for you to have.

I know I speak of the things God has healed me of. It was a lifetime of oppression and intimidation, brought on by various women throughout my life. And while I talk about being healed of it, I don’t actually talk about each individual infraction done to me. To do that would dredge up old wounds, old hurts, and old “junk” that has been healed within me.

You see, it’s one thing for me to say, “God healed me of this,” and quite another to say, “This person did such and such to me, and she came over one day and she…” do you get my point? Why go into great detail, explaining one hurt after another, after another? The fact of the matter is this: I’ve been healed. Plain and simple.

The night God healed me of the oppression and intimidation that I suffered under, He removed those things from within me. Immediately upon their removal, the Holy Spirit rushed in to fill those holes that all the hurts had caused. It’s like when you get a cut or scrape. Immediately blood rushes to that area, clotting it, and scabbing over so that the skin underneath can heal. That’s exactly how it worked inside me. All those abrasions throughout the years had left holes. The blood of Jesus rushed in, filling each hole, and the Holy Spirit scabbed them over, beginning the healing process.

Simply put, forgiveness is the decision to cancel a debt. ~Andy Stanley (It Came From Within! (2001))

There are many people in the world today who are hurting. Whether by the hands of someone else, or by their own unwillingness to let go of past hurts and pains. The issue with forgiveness is that we have to be willing to let it go. We can say we forgive all day long. But until we actually let it go, nothing will ever change. God wants to heal you. You have to let go so that He can. If you say you’re having trouble with it, then you aren’t ready to let it go. When you do though, you will experience such a sweet release that will completely turn your life around.

What are you holding on to that you need to let go of?

Shelley Wilburn

Shelley Wilburn has been writing since the age of twelve. She loves stories and adventures, and often finds herself getting into mischief with any one of her six grandchildren. She has written several articles and devotionals over the years for various newspapers, women's magazines, and newsletters. She has also co-authored devotionals. Shelley began writing full-time in 2012 after being healed of over 40 years of depression and anxiety. Using her love of writing, and wearing mismatched socks, Shelley has developed a unique ministry of encouraging others using biblical truths and stories from her own personal life. When not writing, you can find Shelley and her husband of over 30 years, D.A. zipping down the road in their newest adventure-maker, a bright orange, Mustang convertible Shelley has laughingly dubbed The Pony.