A New Year's resolution to Let It Go!

I heard this week about one of our faithful and committed individuals at church. Our pastor discovered that he is still harboring hurt from a confrontation with an individual who had happened to be the pastor at the time in his northern congregation, a congregation that he left nearly 40 years ago. Our pastor was speaking with him about joining, but out of fear that this former pastor would write something negative about him he hasn’t joined another church since leaving his northern home church so many years ago. In truth he is being held an emotional prisoner by that former pastor and the pain of that confrontation.

In 2006 Bishop T. D. Jakes, senior pastor of The Potter’s House in Dallas, TX and one of all time favorite preachers, wrote a small article entitled, “Let It Go.” The only editing I have done is to remove the references to 2006. What he shared then is applicable as we head into 2011.

“Let it go” By T. D. Jakes

There are people who can walk away from you.

And hear me when I tell you this! When people can walk away from you: let them walk. I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone.

When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.

The Bible said that, they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us. [1 John 2:19]

People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay. Let them go.

And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person it just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead.

You've got to know when it's dead. You've got to know when it's over. Let me tell you something. I've got the gift of good-bye. It's the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in good-bye. It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I' m faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He'll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don't need it. Stop begging people to stay. Let them go!!

If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was ever intended for your life, then you need to... LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains... LET IT GO!!!

If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and see your worth... LET IT GO!!!

If someone has angered you... LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge... LET IT GO!!!

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction... LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents... LET IT GO!!!

If you have a bad attitude... LET IT GO!!!

If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better... LET IT GO!!!

If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him... LET IT GO!!!

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship... LET IT GO!!!

If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves... LET IT GO!!!

If you're feeling depressed and stressed... LET IT GO!!!

If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying "take your hands off of it," then you need to... LET IT GO!!!

Let the past be the past. Forget the former things. GOD is doing a new thing!!! LET IT GO!!!

Get Right or Get Left... think about it, and then... LET IT GO!!!

BE BLESSED BY THE BEST!!!!

Not a bad resolution for 2011 … simply to LET IT GO!

Quote for today: We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day. ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce