We're Good At Holding On And Letting Go

"We're Good At Holding On And Letting Go"
By Zach Wood
Matthew 5:43-48

We are pretty good at holding onto things, aren’t we?  One thing many of us are good at holding onto are grudges.  We hold onto grudges and bitterness very well.

Our problem here is that we are good at holding onto the bitterness we have toward people that wrong us or do things to upset us.  Do we really think it’s healthy to hold onto the grudges and bitterness?  Of course not!  But when we are wronged and hurt by others, it is human to be angry and to have a feeling of “I’ll show them” or “I’ll make sure they realize I’m hurt”.  When we do this, we essentially let go of the things God wants us to do.

When I think of how we react many times with these human emotions, I cannot help but think of Jesus when He preached about love for our enemies as He gave the sermon on the mount.

How many of us really actually enjoy loving our enemies?  I’ll be the first to tell you, I don't like to!  I have had more than enough of my fair share of holding grudges and bitterness toward other people.  And, you know what, it has done me no good.  I come to find out that it does more harm to me than the other person because it just eats and chews away at my heart.

My heart grows moldy and I am not a fun person to be around when this happens.  And this is what happens when all of us react this way to these negative things that have happened. 

All of us like to be good at things in life, but holding grudges and bitterness toward others should absolutely not be one of them.

I encourage you to consider what things you are holding onto that you need to let go and give to God to experience freedom.