What are some things that I need to let go?

Mark 1:15“The time promised by God has come at last!” he [John the Baptist] announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”

The Good News is that Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth to die for our sins and that by trusting in him alone and by faith committing our lives to him, we can have eternal life. This act of trust has two parts: We need to repent and believe. Repenting involves confessing our sins and turning away from our old self-centered lives. Believing involves turning our lives completely over to Jesus and following him. Repent and believe simply means to let go and follow.

Matthew 19:21-22Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But when the young man heard this, he went away very sad, for he had many possessions.

Fully following Jesus involves letting go of everything that stands between us and him. The wealthy young man in this Scripture could not do that because his possessions meant too much to him. Despite the man’s assertion to the contrary, he had an idol. In not being willing to let go of his wealth, he missed the Savior and his eternal treasure in heaven.

Matthew 16:24Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.”

We must be willing to let go of our self-centeredness and humbly submit to our Lord.

Luke 14:33“So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.”

We must be willing to let go of everything to be fully devoted followers of Jesus. Nothing may come between us and our Savior.

Ephesians 4:31Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.

Colossians 3:8-9Now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.

Paul was writing here to believers. Even Christians can fall into the evil behaviors listed in these verses. But we must completely let go of all such sinful attitudes and actions.

Hebrews 12:1Since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

We must “strip off” or let go of anything that hinders us from fully living for Christ.

Philippians 3:13-14No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

We must let go of the past. Instead of looking back with regret and guilt, we must look ahead in the race of our life, trusting Christ to guide and enable each new step.

Proverbs 3:5-6Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

1 Peter 5:7Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

We must let go of our worries and cares, trusting the Lord who cares for us and guides our way through this life.