Hold On and Let Go

 The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. – Psalm 28:7

The weekend after Thanksgiving is considered by many the official kick-off of the holiday season. It can also mean a move into the most stressful weeks of your year. Well-meaning friends will tell you to “hold on” and yet at the same time tell you to “let go.” So, which is it: to enjoy the holiday season, should you be holding on for all your worth or letting it all go?  

Christ-followers understand the paradox of doing both. Surrender is not about waving white flags in defeat. Rather, it is about unclenching your fist and choosing God’s agenda and timing instead of frantically trying to control your world to ensure YOUR will is done. Real surrender is letting go of everything BUT God. Likewise, holding on is not about trying desperately to earn superhuman status or striving for belief but about finding faith as you rest in the sufficiency of God’s goodness.   

Trust is the common denominator between holding on and letting go. Together they are the right answer to every question. Knowing God as the strength you need to hold onto as well as the shield that makes it safe for you to let go, leaving you with only one thing to do this holiday season… give thanks, and sing. 

Regardless of what the next few weeks bring your way, the Lord has equipped you so that you are ready to meet life as it comes. Pray for America to be refreshed as believers across the nation fill houses of worship offering praise to the God and Savior of humanity, Jesus Christ.