TURNING BACK TO GOD!

Letting go can prove to be a painful experience. This is true, especially when we are closely

connected to something/someone. Our hearts can get so tangled up that we begin to find it

hard to let go. When we hear God calling us away, our flesh rises up in defense. It gives us

reason after reason in support of the argument for keeping what God has told us to let go

of.

When we find our hands clinging tightly to something that the Lord has clearly revealed

should be released, we have found ourselves an idol.

All idols are to be cast at the foot of

the cross. Truly, lasting joy is found in God alone.

RELATIONAL PEOPLE

God made us relational people. We are like sheep. We travel together and are led

collectively by our Shepherd (John 10:27). God has given us a love for other Christians.

Once we have become attached to someone or something, it is hard to open our hands. We

develop comforting habits, preventing us from seeing clearly.

We may invest in friendships and relationships that feel too costly to let go of. Our flesh is

strong-willed, and we will have to battle in training our minds to obey God and not our

desires. We do so, knowing that God is loving and does all things well.

GIFTS AND LETTING GO

Many of the things the Lord may lead us to let go of our not bad things in themselves. The

material things that we have on earth can even serve as helpful things if it is under the rule

of God...and is not taking His place. We get in trouble when we begin to feel as if we cannot

live without the good things God has given us. This means we have made a gift into an idol.

IDOLS OF THE HEART

We might not have golden calves or statues in our homes, though this still happens. I had

an Indian friend in high-school who had a room dedicated to an idol. There was a specific

room of the house with an altar and a big piece of metal in it. The metal was shaped into the

familiar image of a woman with many arms. My friend and her family worshiped 'her.' To us,

believers, that is foolish!

However, we are blinded by the appearance of our idols because we have ones set up in

our hearts. Our 'gods' that are physical in nature appear to be good things like the fruit Eve

took in the garden.

Isaac was a gift from God... Literally! However, Abraham was tested to see if his gift was

loved more than the Giver (Hebrews 11:17). I wonder what our response would be if God

were to tell us to put our precious things on the altar where it could be removed from us

forever.

WHAT WE CAN DO

We have overused phrases that have lost meaning. Ones like "give it all to God! "Or, "let go,

and let God! "These are very right generally. However, these phrases aren't specific on how

to obey practically.

How do you let go and let God? What does it look like to give it all to God?

We can even turn scripture into weightless phrases. One in particular that comes to mind is

"Acknowledge God in all your ways, and He will direct your path (Proverbs 3:6)." We

sometimes use this verse flippantly, and it loses its meaning to us.

Do we really acknowledge God in all of our ways? Or is our attention mostly at the end of

that verse, "and He will direct your paths?" We need a better way to live out these truths in

our day-to-day life.

SURRENDER IN LOVE

We are often people with more words than deeds. Picturing yourself, bringing your

treasured idol to God, and placing it on the altar, as Abraham did Isaac, might be painful to

imagine. I once heard that a gift is only safe to keep if we can live without it!

We must be able to place our relationships or our material things on the altar, with the

possibility of never having them again. If we can't do this, we love that person or gift more

than we love God. In that case, we are no different than the Israelites who worshipped

graven images.

There is no condemnation for you, but if God is calling you to let go and to turn to Him

instead, you should obey. We can go to God and ask Him to make Him our first love again.

Without trying to conjure up a greater love for Him in our own strength, we can ask Him to

renew the devotion that He deserves.

FASTING AS A MEANS OF GRACE

When we are holding our idols, everything within us will fight against the idea of fasting.

However, it is one of the most helpful ways to turn our hearts back to God and our backs

against the rivals of God's love. God should be on the throne of our hearts, not something

or someone else.

Whatever the Lord has laid upon your heart to release, set aside a few days of detachment

from that thing. When you have the urge to go towards it, turn away from it and back

towards God. Read His word, pray, and plead that He will satisfy you. He has promised to

do so. We must only go and collect the manna (John 6:31).

DISTANCE IS HELPFUL

God may lead us to turn away from a person. The person might be supportive. Still, if we

have let our hearts love that person more than we love God, it is something that we might

have to surrender to Him. We show love to our Savior when we do this. He is the only One

who deserves to sit on the throne of our hearts.

Like in fasting, our flesh will try to justify reasons to stay with the thing that we know God is

calling us to turn away from. Our flesh will come up with creative theories and reasonings to

disobey God's personal call of letting go. Distance yourself from it for a set amount of days.

When you have a longing, turn your back on that thing and turn your face towards God.

Find what you need from Him through prayer and reading His Word. You will think better

about the situation when it is just you and God.

CHALLENGE

Let's ask God, with sincere hearts, where there might be an idol in our lives. When He

shows us the truth of our hearts, let's either fast or distance ourselves from the thing or

person. Ask God to help you make Him your first love again. He will not withhold any good

thing from you.

If He is calling us to let go of something, He is not trying to make us miserable. He knows

that 'it' is not best for us. He wants to love and shield us, not to hurt us.

The surrender can be very difficult, but when we turn to Him, we will see He really is all we

need. Then, everything else will fall into their rightful place. They'll be good gifts that will

cause us to praise and give thanks to God. May the Lord help us do this!