It's Time To Let It Go

It’s Time to Let It Go

Ever since we moved into our house over two years ago, I’ve been working on the long, drawn-out project of going through a lifetime of things I’ve kept over the years—thirty-six years, five kids, and five grandkids’ worth of stuff. Stuff like clothing, toys, books, jewelry, makeup, kids’ school papers and artwork, baby blankets, office supplies, games, Christmas decorations, home décor, kitchen utensils, cookware, stamps, scrapbook supplies, and so much more. You name it, I’ve probably kept it. I don’t think I’d qualify as a hoarder, but I definitely hold on to more than I should.

Every year, I pull boxes out of my shed, garage, and closets and try to get rid of more items—but I always seem to keep some of it back. Then the next year, I wonder why I kept those things and decide to toss a few more. It’s been quite a process!

As I was recently cleaning out some of my cupboards and closets, I started thinking about how much stuff I still have. In that moment, I realized that I really needed to purge a large portion of it. My husband—who’s always telling me to get rid of things—would be thrilled! (Although, he keeps his fair share of things too, just saying!)

Suddenly, a thought hit me. When I look at my stuff, I tend to focus on the things that I can see, that are sitting in front of me —the ones that I need to get rid of—but I hardly think about all the items I’ve already let go of. In fact, I don’t even remember half of what I used to have unless I happen to come across it in an old picture or video. It might bring back a memory or two, but honestly, I don’t miss those things. I never really think about them.

Every time I get rid of something, it makes me feel better—lighter and freer.

Ecclesiastes 3:6 says, “A time to keep and a time to throw away.”

I know it’s time for me to detach and let the extra things go—things I once thought I had to have. I know I won’t miss or hardly think about them. Letting them go will free me from being bogged down by thoughts of clutter. It will give me a greater sense of peace.

The Lord began showing me that this is similar to the process we go through in life. Some of us are holding on to seasons we need to release. We’re clinging to all the “what ifs,” “should’ves,” and “could’ves.” We hold on to pain from words that were spoken or wrongs that were done to us. We replay conversations in our minds like an old movie of our lives. Those moments get written into the core of who we are, gripping our hearts like an eagle’s talons clutching its prey.

In Isaiah 43:18–19, the Lord says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing…”

It’s time to detach from those memories. It’s time to let them go. They’ve become dead weight, holding us down for far too long. The past is gone, and we can’t change it. But we can change our future. We can choose to grow, to be better, and to do what’s right—right now.

The bible tells us to press toward what lies ahead, not what lies behind. It says to forget the things that are that are in the past! Philippians 3:13–14, “… but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

It’s clear from Scripture that God wants us to be forward-focused. He instructs us not to dwell on the past. Whenever I go through a season of growth, I have to release the things behind me. I have to shed them, like a snake shedding its old skin. We may need time to heal and forgive, but eventually, we must let those things go—once and for all.

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away…” —2 Corinthians 5:17