What Does God Want Me To Let Go Of?

 What God Asks Us To Release So We Can Finally Walk Free 

 

When we ask, “What does God want me to let go of?” we are usually not asking a small question. We are asking what God wants us to release so we can finally breathe again, stop pretending, and start walking forward with a clean conscience and a steady heart. The first thing Scripture tells us is simple and direct: we cannot run well when we are tangled up. We are called to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,” and to “run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Heb 12:1). God is not saying that to shame us. He is saying it because He knows the things we cling to will eventually drain us, harden us, and pull us off course. 

 

So What Does God Want Us To Let Go Of? 

 

1) God Wants Us To Let Go Of The Secret Grip Of “The Flesh.” 

There are sins that don’t just tempt us; they entangle us. They promise relief, control, and comfort, but they leave us emptier than before. That is why Scripture does not talk softly about them. It says to “put to death” what belongs to the old way of life “fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Col 3:5). It says plainly that the “lust of the flesh” is not of the Father (1 John 2:15–17). It warns that if we keep feeding what God calls dead, we should not be surprised when our peace dies too (Rom 8:5–6). And here is the hard truth I have learned: we can’t “manage” sin into submission. Jesus doesn’t tell us to negotiate with what destroys us. He tells us to deny ourselves and follow Him (Luke 9:23–24; Matt 16:24–26). That is not punishment. That is rescue. 

 

2) God Wants Us To Let Go Of Shame That Keeps Us Hiding 

There is a difference between conviction and condemnation. Conviction pulls us back toward God. Condemning shame pushes us back into isolation and old patterns. God does not call us to live double-minded, one foot toward Him and one foot toward what we know is killing us inside (James 4:7–8). When we fall, the enemy whispers, “You’re a hypocrite so stop trying.” But Christ says, “Come.” The call of Jesus is not “Come when you’re already strong.” His call is, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28–30). That rest is not permission to stay chained. It is strength to stand up again. And the gospel truth we must not forget is this: in Christ we are not frozen in our past. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor 5:17). That does not mean we never struggle. It means we are not hopeless, and we are not stuck.

 

3) God Wants Us To Let Go Of Anxious Striving Over Provision And Control 

Many of us are carrying real burdens: family needs, bills, health concerns, the pressure to provide, and the fear of “What if it never gets better?” Jesus speaks straight into that kind of pressure: “Do not worry about your life… your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things” (Matt 6:25–34). That passage is not telling us to be irresponsible. It is telling us not to let fear become our master. God calls us to trust Him enough to obey Him, and to seek His kingdom first (Matt 6:33). He calls us to commit our way to Him and believe He can establish what we cannot stabilize on our own (Ps 37:5; Prov 16:3). And He invites us to bring our cares to Him, not as a religious slogan, but as a real transfer of weight: “Cast your burden on the Lord” (Ps 55:22) and “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Pet 5:6–7). 

 

4) God Wants Us To Let Go Of The Past As Our Identity Even When The Past Was Real 

Some of us carry scars that shaped how we think, react, and cope. And even when we understand that, we can still feel trapped by it. But God says, “Do not remember the former things… Behold, I will do a new thing” (Isa 43:18–19). That doesn’t erase what happened. It means God refuses to let our past have the final word. Paul’s posture helps us here: “forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward… I press toward the goal” (Phil 3:13–14). That is not denial. That is direction. It is the decision to stop living backward. 

 

5) God Wants Us To Let Go Of Anything We Love More Than Him 

This is where discipleship gets painfully personal. Jesus looked at the rich young ruler “and loved him,” then said, “One thing you lack… come, take up the cross, and follow Me” (Mark 10:21–22). The issue was not money; it was attachment (Matthew 6:21). The ruler could not let go of what had his heart. That is why Jesus says hard words like, “whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:33). That doesn’t mean every Christian must sell everything. It means nothing gets to compete with Christ for the throne of our heart. If something owns us, it’s not just a habit; it’s a rival. 

 

What Does “Letting Go” Look Like? 

It looks like stopping the excuses and starting the surrender. It looks like presenting our bodies to God again honestly, “a living sacrifice” (Rom 12:1–2). It looks like walking in the Spirit instead of feeding the flesh (Gal 5:16–24). It looks like making “no provision for the flesh” (Rom 13:12–14), which means we stop setting up tomorrow’s failure while hoping for tomorrow’s victory. And when we stumble, we don’t quit. We get up. We keep moving forward. We remember the progress God has already worked in us, and we keep running the race with endurance (Heb 12:1). We don’t make peace with hypocrisy, but we also don’t live as though Christ cannot restore us. Grace teaches us to deny what is ungodly and to live uprightly right now (Titus 2:11–12). 

If I could say it in one line, it would be this: Living a double life will catch up with us, but Jesus can make us whole if we stop hiding, start surrendering, and keep walking forward no matter how many times we fall. 

Where is God in the Chaos of This Life?

Where God Is When Life Feels Like It’s Falling Apart 

 

When life feels chaotic, one of the most honest questions we can ask is, “Where is God right now?” So, what does God say about where He is in the midst of our chaotic lives, in the times of our trials? God is not absent in our chaos. God is present in it, steady, near, and strong even when everything around us feels unstable. 

 

1)    The Bible Does Not Pretend The Storm Isn’t Real. 

Psalm 46 describes the kind of chaos that makes us feel like the world is coming apart, earth giving way, mountains moving, waters roaring (Ps 46:1–3). And right in that picture, God says He is “our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Ps 46:1–3). That phrase “very present” matters. It means God is not far away watching us suffer from a distance. He is close enough to help. And sometimes the chaos is deeply personal loss, trauma, anxiety, a broken home, a season that feels like darkness. Psalm 23 doesn’t say we might avoid the valley. It says we walk through it. But we are not alone: “You are with me” (Ps 23:4). In other words, God doesn’t always remove the valley immediately, but He does not abandon us in it. 

 

2)    God Also Promises Something That Comforts Me When The Pressure Feels Overwhelming:

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you… when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned” (Isa 43:2). Notice the wording: when, not if. But also notice the promise with you. The waters may rise, but God says they will not ultimately drown us. The fire may burn hot, but it will not finally consume us. This is why God keeps repeating the same promise throughout Scripture: “He will not leave you nor forsake you” (Deut 31:6), and again, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb 13:5–6). That is not motivational talk. That is covenant language. It means our stability is not based on how steady we feel. It is based on God’s faithfulness.

 

3)    Sometimes Chaos Breaks Us Emotionally. 

We feel crushed, exhausted, confused, angry, numb, like we can’t carry one more thing. Scripture says God moves toward people like that: “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart” (Ps 34:18). God does not shame brokenness. He meets us in it. And what do we do when the burden is too heavy? We do what Scripture actually tells us to do: we cast it. We do not pretend. We do not hide. We do not carry it alone. “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you” (Ps 55:22). “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Pet 5:7). That word “care” includes the things we can’t fix, the fears we can’t stop, and the grief we can’t explain. 

 

4)    Sometimes God Calms The Storm Around Us, And Sometimes He Calms The Storm Inside Us.

Psalm 107 says that when His people cry out, “He calms the storm… and guides them to their desired haven” (Ps 107:28–30). That is what God does: He guides. He leads. He brings us through. We need to remember what Jesus promised about life in this world: “In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33). That is realistic. But Jesus didn’t stop there: “In Me you may have peace… be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). So the Christian hope is not “no trouble.” It is peace in Christ while trouble is present. 

 

5)    This Is Where Trust Becomes Practical. 

Proverbs tells us what to do when we don’t understand: trust the Lord with all our heart… acknowledge Him… and He shall direct our paths (Prov 3:5–6). That is how we walk through chaos without being ruled by it. And even when we cannot see the point, God is still working. “All things work together for good to those who love God”(Rom 8:28). That doesn’t mean every event is good. It means God is strong enough to weave even what is evil, painful, and confusing into something that will not be wasted. 

 

So where is God in the chaos? 

1.     God is our refuge in the storm (Ps 46:1–3; Ps 91:1–2). 

2.     God is with us in the valley (Ps 23:4; Isa 43:2). 

3.     God is near to the brokenhearted (Ps 34:18). 

4.     God strengthens us when we feel weak (Isa 41:10; Deut 31:6). 

5.     God sustains us when we hand Him the burden (Ps 55:22; 1 Pet 5:7). 

6.     God gives peace in Christ, even while trouble continues (John 16:33; Matt 11:28–30). 

7.     God is still good and still working, even when life is loud and confusing (Nah 1:7; Rom 8:28; Lam 3:22–23). 

 

I pray these points strengthen, encourage, and comfort, and serve as a reminder that our chaos does not cancel God’s presence. And our fear does not cancel God’s faithfulness. The storm is real, but so is our God. 

What is My Purpose and Why Am I Here?

 When we ask, “What is my purpose and why am I here?” we are usually carrying something deeper than curiosity. We are carrying a need for meaning, purpose, and significance. We want to know that our lives are not random, that our pain isn’t wasted, and that we were made for more than surviving, working, and dying. From Scripture, our purpose isn’t something we invent. It’s something God gives. 

 

1) We Are Here Because God Created Us On Purpose. 

The Bible starts with this foundation: God made us because He wanted us. We are not an accident. We are not a cosmic mistake. We exist because God created all things, and by His will we exist (Rev 4:11). And we were created for His glory (Isa 43:7). That word “glory” doesn’t mean we are here to make ourselves famous. It means we are here to live in a way that reflects who God is: His truth, goodness, mercy, and love. 

 

2) Our Main Purpose Is To Know God, Love Him, And Walk With Him. 

Jesus was asked what matters most, and He answered with the center of life: love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself (Matt 22:37–40). That’s not a slogan. That’s a life direction. Ecclesiastes says it plainly: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all (Eccles 12:13). In other words, our purpose is not mainly a job title. Our purpose is a relationship with God that shapes everything else. And Micah makes it practical: do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8). That is purpose in daily clothing. 

 

3) Our Purpose Becomes Clearer When We See That We Were Made “For Good Works.” 

I love how Ephesians says it: we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand for us to walk in (Eph 2:10). That means our lives are not only forgiven, they are assigned. God saved us and called us with a holy calling, not because we earned it, but according to His purpose and grace (2 Tim 1:9). So we don’t have to panic, as if we might miss “the one perfect path.” God is faithful to guide willing hearts. 

 

4) Our Purpose Is Lived Out In Ordinary Life, Not Just “Big Moments.” 

This is where many of us get stuck. We think purpose must look dramatic. But Scripture says purpose shows up in the regular stuff. Whatever work we do, responsibilities, daily tasks, we do it heartily as to the Lord (Col 3:23–24). Even eating and drinking can be done to the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31). That means purpose is not only in the “calling”; it’s in the faithfulness. So if we are wondering, “What am I supposed to do?” a good question is: What is in front of me today that I can do with a clean heart, with love, and with obedience? Purpose often begins there. 

 

5) God’s Purpose Is Also Shaping Us, Not Just Using Us. 

Sometimes we want purpose to mean “God will use me,” but God also means “God will form me.” Romans says God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose, and that part of that purpose is making us more like His Son (Rom 8:28–29). That means even hard seasons can be shaping seasons. Jeremiah reminds us God’s thoughts toward us are not evil, but peace, a future, and a hope (Jer 29:11). That doesn’t mean life feels easy. It means God is not careless with our story. Proverbs says we make plans, but God’s counsel stands (Prov 19:21). That is comfort for people who feel behind, confused, or uncertain. 

 

6) How Do We Know Our “Specific” Purpose? 

Here is the simple difference: 

• Our purpose (big picture): belong to God, love God, love people, reflect Christ, glorify God (Matt 22:37–40; Eccles 12:13; Isa 43:7; 1 Cor 10:31). 
• Our goals (specific steps): the particular good works God has prepared for us to walk in (Eph 2:10). 

When I want clarity, I do two things: 

1. I keep seeking God first, because purpose stays confused when God is second (Matt 6:33). 
2. I keep obeying what I already understand, because God often reveals the next step while we are walking, not while we are waiting to feel certain (Rom 12:2). 

And I remember this: God is at work in our willing hearts both to desire what is right and to do it (Phil 2:13). We are not alone in the process. 

 

Thus, we are here because God made us, God loves us, and God wants us to live with Him and for Him right now so that our lives point others back to His mercy and truth. And being made in the image of God, loved by God, and God wanting us to live with Him for all eternity, if that does not indicate that our lives are full of meaning, purpose, and significance, then we have missed what God has been saying and doing, and we are that much greater in need of God to help us than we first thought.