Purpose

Letting Go & Holding On

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This phrase has become a popular refrain to say when those we know are facing trials. Like “cleanliness is next to godliness” it is often thought of as a biblical statement, and while it is not found in Scripture, I think it’s roots were probably planted there. The Bible has plenty to say about the need for letting go – we are, for example, to lay down our lives in order to follow Christ (Matt. 16:25). This requires an abdication of that which we once held dear, in order to follow Him who gave His very life for ours.

“Letting go” however, is no easy task. Early in life, being able to hold on to something is a sign of fine motor skill development. Parents encourage their young ones to grasp onto their finger and marvel at their child’s grip. This early lesson stays with us as we continue to amass possessions and priorities as we grow. We hold these things close to us, and deem them as “ours,” crying afoul when someone tries to take them from us.

Yet, God says, letting go of them is exactly what a Christian needs to do. No longer is it about “me”, “mine” and “my”, but about “Him” and “His.” We must relinquish control of our next steps, in order to follow where He leads. We must give up our right to the future that we have planned, in order to trust in the one He has orchestrated. We must let go of our desire to control, and let Him take the lead.

But in letting go, we are not left without something to hold on to. Instead of clinging to that which we desire, we are to cling to Him (Ps. 63:8). We are to hold on to the promises He has made, rather than the priorities that we have set. We are to be glad in what He has given, rather than what we’ve obtained. We let go of our life in order to hold on to His. And because it is to Him that we cling, we can persevere through any trial or temptation that comes our way. We don’t let go in order to give up. We let go in order to get Him.

Laying down what is “mine” in order to take up the Cross of Christ, is not easy. That’s why it must be a daily relinquishment (Luke 9:23). But what I gain in return is far greater than anything I must let go.

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Purpose

Finding Our Place

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In Screwtape Letters C.S. Lewis writes:

Prosperity knits a man to the world. He feels that he is ‘finding his place in it’ while really it is finding its place in him.

It’s a gut-punching statement. 

After all, most of us spend a considerable amount of time looking for our place in this world.

There are songs about it, and myriad of books that try to help us answer that question.

Usually, when people talk about finding their place, it means finding their niche – their area where they can have greater success than other people.  Their looking for their unique way to make a contribution; how they can provide value that no one else can.

The way that our world acknowledges such a contribution is by allowing that person to prosper.

Be it money, fame, prestige or acclaim, our reward for finding our niche, our area of unique contribution, is at the feeling that we have finally arrived; it’s a feeling of belonging and achievement.

Of course the problem is that the Christian does not belong to this world. So if we are finding our place in it, we are actually in the wrong location. If we measure success by the rewards that this world offers, our measuring tape is misaligned. The goal shouldn’t be to achieve much in this world, but in the next. Our mission isn’t to be prosperous in this life, but to prosper God’s Kingdom.

And if our hearts are knitted to this world, than they aren’t knitted to Christ. We are no longer seeking His kingdom, but our own.  

So while God may bless our efforts, and allow us to do well in the field to which He has called us, may we never think that we have found our place in it. Instead, may our feeling of belonging and significance always be found in Him.

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