Letting go

What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. — Philippians 3:7

It has been said that “one person’s junk is another’s treasure.” When David Dudley tried to help his parents clear their house of “unnecessary items” before moving to a smaller home, he found it very difficult. He was often angered by his parents’ refusal to part with things they had not used for decades. Finally, David’s father helped him understand that even the worn out, useless items were tied to close friends and important events. Clearing the clutter felt like throwing away their very lives.

A spiritual parallel to our reluctance to let go of the clutter in our homes may be our inability to clear our hearts of the attitudes that weigh us down.

For many years, Saul of Tarsus clung to the “righteousness” he had earned by obeying God’s law. His pedigree and performance were prized possessions until he encountered Jesus in a blinding moment on the Damascus Road (Acts 9:1-8). Face to face with the risen Savior, he let go of his cherished self-effort and later wrote, “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ” (Phil. 3:7).

When the Holy Spirit urges us to release our grip on any attitude that keeps us from following Christ, we find true freedom in letting go. — David McCasland

Speak to us, Lord, till shamed by Thy great giving,

Our hands unclasp to set our treasures free;

Our wills, our love, our dear ones, our possessions,

All gladly yielded, gracious Lord, to Thee. — Anon.

READ: Philippians 3:3-11

Through Christ we have the freedom to let go.

The Bible in one year:

• Proverbs 22-24

• 2 Corinthians 8